F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo doesn’t know “why it hasn’t been like this more often” at McLaren – F1 Briefings

Daniel Ricciardo executed one of his best performances for McLaren in Mexico but is unsure why this form has escaped him for the last two seasons with the British squad.

The 33-year-old has made no secrets about his challenges since joining McLaren, with these difficulties ultimately costing Ricciardo his place with the team for next season.

Debate continues surrounding whether Ricciardo or McLaren hold greater responsibility for their failed partnership, but few can deny the Australian secured essential points in Mexico.

However, Ricciardo’s race was far from flawless, as he received a 10-second time penalty for making contact with Yuki Tsunoda around the halfway stage of the Grand Prix.

Speaking to the media post-race, Ricciardo explained his perspective on the incident:

“I just saw the replay, and it wasn’t blatant. I’ve gone in, locked and crashed into him.

“I feel like I held a pretty tight line. It was maybe a little bit me, there’s a lot of blind spots, but all we needed was to give each other 30 more centimeters and then we were good.

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“The truth is, I wasn’t actually trying to lunge against him in the corners. I was just trying to stay there, hold him a little bit wide, and then get the exit with the fresher tyres.

“But anyway, look, a 10 seconds penalty was more than enough to justify that, and I came back through…

“Anyway, I got my head back down, and we eventually pulled a big enough gap on the others, so I’m happy.

Speaking more specifically about his performance, Ricciardo expressed relief that he could finally push the limits of his MCL36 machine.

After spending most of the season struggling to match Norris and maximizing his car’s potential, Ricciardo is left wondering why this performance has eluded him for most of the season.

Regardless, the Australian’s race in Mexico City was a welcome change from his typical struggles to find grip and pace:

“It’s so nice. I wish there was an explanation for why it hasn’t been like this more often, races where I can just lean on the car and kind of put it where I want.

“Obviously, there’s only a few left, [but] better late than never [and] happy to have had an attacking race.”