After a disappointing start to his second season at McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo indicated he is prepared to see out the third year of his deal but he is reluctant to accept the results he’s had in recent events.
He joined McLaren from Renault last season on a three-year deal. His victory in Monza last year was one of few high points in a difficult start to life at the team and there have been few signs of improvement so far in 2022.
Yesterday Ricciardo qualified 14th on the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix, nine places behind team mate Lando Norris, who lapped him in this race last year.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown acknowledged last week that Ricciardo’s performances haven’t reached the level the team expected when they signed him, prompting speculation over whether his deal could be cut short.
“I do have a contract in place,” Ricciardo confirmed yesterday. “But personally, I don’t want to be 14th, that’s not why I race, let’s put it like that.”
He admitted his latest qualifying result in Monaco, a race he won in for Red Bull, was painful to take.
“I still, obviously, even after a day like today, have 100% belief in myself and ability,” he said. “[That] probably makes the result like this hurt more.
“So that’s kind of where I feel or how I feel. It’s one of those things you just got to keep going. I would love to be in a different position, but I refuse to let it beat me down.”
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said they were committed to helping Ricciardo improve his confidence with their car in order to get the best out of it.
“We have a contract in place with Daniel also going into the next year,” he said. “We’ll use all our energy and our focus in order to find these last percentages.”
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