A bullish Ricciardo has ‘no concerns’ about his future at Mclaren, writes
Rebecca Williams
DANIEL Ricciardo has declared he has “no concerns” about his future at Mclaren, vowing he was not yet done in the sport. And he remains confident he could still secure some “big results” for the team in the second half of the Formula One season. After moving to reject rumours he was set to quit Formula One in a personal statement on his social media last week, Ricciardo said he hoped he had put speculation about his future “to bed” as he focused on reviving his ontrack fortunes. Contracted for another year at Mclaren in 2023, rumours about the Australian star’s future have swirled all season as he has struggled to make an impact on track.
But in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports presenter Jessica Yates, which will air this weekend, Ricciardo said he was “not backing down from this challenge”.
“There is always noise, and maybe there has been a little bit more noise as of late, and that’s why I made a statement last week - to try and set the record straight,” Ricciardo said before the French Grand Prix.
“Just to make it clear (about) my intent and my desire, my commitment at least not only to Mclaren but to the sport.
“Deep down I know how I feel and ultimately what I feel I am capable of.
“I know my situation, I know my future, so it got to a point where everyone is coming up with different stories every weekend and I am trying to answer different ways of telling them, and I was like ‘Let me just put it straight’ and put it to bed.
“Making it clear that I still love it. I still love this stuff.”
Asked if he had any concerns about his future at Mclaren, he said: “No, no concerns.”
Speculation about Ricciardo’s future has been fuelled by the addition of new drivers to the team’s F1 development program, most notably Indycar star Colton Herta. The 22-yearold American was given the chance to drive the team’s 2021 car in a two-day test last week.
But Ricciardo denied it had added tension, saying Mclaren had made it clear who was driving in what category for the team.
“I think it has only been what the media has made of it,” Ricciardo said.
“Any of the Indycar drivers that have done even some F1 Testing, as Colton has done, their program is fully Indycar. It’s the chance for them to get behind the wheel of an F1 (car), but there is no crossover.
“I think the media sees that and goes ‘What’s going to happen, is this potentially an F1 seat or something?’ But internally everything is pretty clear about where we stand as a team and who is driving what category.”
Ricciardo’s best result this year was sixth at the Australian Grand Prix - one of only three occasions he has finished in the points this year.
After putting heat on Ricciardo earlier in the season when he said he had not lived up to the team’s expectations, McLaren boss Zak Brown has since said he remained confident the Perth racer could again be a race winner for the team.
Ricciardo was also confident he still had the capacity to be a race winner – provided he was given a winning car.
“I have had a lot of support from the team, obviously people like Zak,” Ricciardo said.
“Everyone knows my history in the sport. I haven’t won 100 races, but I’ve won enough to let people know that I can do this.
“Sometimes people’s expectations I might not always meet because of results that I have done, and obviously winning Monza, but one thing I have always shown is give me
a winning car and I will cross the line first. I have never left a win on the table, and it’s really just trying to get to that place. And the team is certainly rallying and trying to also help me out and find a car that I am comfortable in and that we can be comfortable up the front with.”
Ricciardo said he understood Brown’s pointed comments about his performances earlier in the year, but there was no friction within the team.
“I get it …. I am not going to be jumping up and down with a 12th place,” Ricciardo said.
“If the team was celebrating me crossing the line in 12th, I would be like, ‘What’s going on?’ They care, they believe in me, they know I can do it, so it’s like, ‘ What do we need now to make it happen?’
“Internally, there is no friction or tension or anything.”
Ricciardo said he was confident Mclaren was not far away from “unlocking” the car’s true potential to deliver a machine to propel him up the grid.
“There are times this year where I have felt comfortable in the car and times that I haven’t, but I think every race we build a better understanding of what I need in this car,” he said.
And Ricciardo remains confident he can still deliver from “big results” this year – and in the years to come.
“You have certainly seen some good moments, but it is certainly not done,” he said.
“I am definitely confident that I can still get some big results this year and the years to come.”