Australian star Daniel Ricciardo had a tough 2021 F1 season with the McLaren team. Aside from the Monza win, he struggled to get used to the new car for most of the season. Ricciardo moved to the Woking team after two years at Renault. In the championship standings he finished 8th, two places behind his teammate Lando Norris.
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Ricciardo had a strong 2020 season with Renault. In the races in the first half of 2021, however, his performance fell sharply. At the halfway intersection, he was at less than half the points than Norris.
Most recently, he reflected on the difficult first half of the 2021 season and how he got through it personally. A forced break after the disastrous Hungarian GP proved to be the key to his outstanding performance at Monza. Ricciardo won the Italian GP followed by Norris in second place, giving Mclaren the only 1-2 result of the 2021 season.
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Formula 1 F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia – Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – December 4, 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo in action during practice REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed
Daniel Ricciardo had his back to the wall in the first half
While it was an average F1 season for Ricciardo, 2021 was a learning curve for the Aussie in many ways. However, Ricciardo scored one of the lowest points of Ricciardo’s season at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he crossed the finish line in 11th of 13 finishers after sustaining damage on the first lap.
In a recent interview with Autosport, Daniel Ricciardo claimed that while it was a “ridiculous” first time on the team, he didn’t pay much attention when he got on the plane back home.
“As depressed as I was at the time, part of me was happy too because I thought, okay, the first half was what it was. It’s almost ridiculous in a way. So let’s just fuck it, hop on a plane and just not worry about F1 for two weeks, ”Ricciardo said.
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“I think everyone works differently, but sometimes I need this escape. I’m not a driver who goes to bed every night and thinks about F1. So I knew it would be healthy for me, “added the 32-year-old Australian.
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After an intense season, Ricciardo is currently back at home in Perth for the Christmas break and will be back at the wheel for the winter tests. The 2022 season is fraught with unpredictability. Where do you think Ricciardo will finish next season?
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