Daniel Ricciardo joined the McLaren F1 team ahead of this season, with massive expectations for the Australian. Riccardo’s trip with the British outfit was the success. However, the reality was pretty sour.
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All Ricciardo has seen so far is disappointment and heartbreak in contrast to his teammate’s fame. This led many to wonder what was going wrong with Ricciardo, a driver who was once hailed as a masterful driver.
Amid a series of speculations, Ricciardo’s Red Bull predecessor Mark Webber appears to have deciphered the real truth behind Ricciardo’s struggles at McLaren.
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He just doesn’t get on the car: Webber
In an interview with Nine, the former F1 driver said that Ricciardo is fighting for entry into the corners, which he then loses decisive tenths and hundredths of a second against Lando Norris.
“He just can’t get on the car at the moment, especially when entering the corners. And that makes up 80 percent of our job. It’s like the backswing for a golfer or the footwork for a cricketer, “said Webber.
Formula 1 F1 – Formula 1 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan – June 3, 2021 McLarens Daniel Ricciardo before the REUTERS / Maxim Shemetov Grand Prix
“Entering the corner is everything. He just can’t do it. And the rest of the corner is really a challenge, ”added the Australian.
Ricciardo is slowly recovering from the bad start to the season by showing brilliant pace at the Austrian GP. Although he started the race well outside the top 10, Ricciardo finished his race on P7.
DIVE DEEPER
Daniel Ricciardo has to work harder: ex-F1 driver
Webber had clear advice for the Australian compatriot amid his ongoing fights in Formula 1. The 44-year-old asked Ricciardo to work his way up even more in the coming races.
“He’s not making real mistakes, he’s making absolute speed, he just can’t turn it on at the moment,” he said. “But it’s too much class for it to take too long. He figured it out.
Formula 1 F1 – Austrian Grand Prix – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Styria, Austria – July 3, 2021 McLarens Daniel Ricciardo in action in qualifying REUTERS / Leonhard Foeger
“We are talking about MMI – human-machine interface. He’s going to have to work harder. The only way is forward. But he will fix it, I’ll be very, very surprised if he doesn’t. “
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Overall, the next stop for the drivers is Silverstone and Ricciardo has done quite well on this track. Additionally, the high-speed nature of the track is likely to add to McLaren’s strengths and be tempting to battle the top runners.
So how interesting would it be if Ricciardo and Norris team up to fight for the podium against Mercedes and Red Bull? Let’s hope that the McLaren duo spices up this weekend in a similar way to Austria.
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View history: When F1 drivers with Hamilton, Vettel & Ricciardo had a lot of fun on top equipment
The post Webber deciphering the real reason for “80%” of Ricciardo’s McLaren F1 battles first appeared on monter-une-startup.
