Daniel Ricciardo way overrated.

I like the guy, but his form is going downhill, I feel.

You can see the frustration growing (on both sides), and I fear for his career.

 

When the car suits him, he's very exciting to watch. He hasn't forgotten how to drive or simply given up, I agree that he's got no confidence in this car and that's the major issue.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

The problem is what to do when a car suits one driver, but not the other?

 

when you're an F1 driver, that shouldn't matter. you should be able to extract performance from the car by adapting to it, not the other way around (Schumi was a master at this)

 

I think that's the difference between someone who is a very good driver who still deserves to be on the F1 grid, and an all-time great who could produce remarkably competitive drives in whatever car they were given. Schumacher also drove in an era where he was able to do a LOT of testing (which he did personally, rather than put out to the test drivers) and honed the car to himself as the lead driver at Ferrari. I'd say Ricciardo was not designated the lead driver at McLaren.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Hamilton is an all time great

Lando is a very good driver

Ric is.....

 

Everyone on the F1 grid is at minimum a very good driver just to be able to be there. Well, except for maybe Stroll.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

ahem.



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That is a very interesting graphic. Thank you, Guy.

 

Brown’s comments are no more than pro forma eyewash. So RIC will “see out his three year deal.” Unless you know the terms of the contract that is meaningless.

 

Whether another team (non-IndyCar ) picks him up will be the proof of that.

 

Aren't you forgetting Latifi?

 

Who?

Fair point. He's not in a even remotely competitive car though, so it's easy to forget him.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

The great extract performance from any car they drive, and are scary fast in cars that truly suits their driving style.
Others need a car that suits them to truly show what they can do.

It looks to me that Ricciardo likely drove cars he really enjoys for the majority of his career and now finds himself in a car he truly despises and to make matters worse, Norris, a very very good driver, is in a car that suits his driving style, making the gap between the two even larger.

On top of that the constant comments regarding his career aren't helping him. No doubt is he rethinking his career choices as well. Had he stayed at Red Bull, a career that could've been?

 

I think anyone at Red Bull are going to find themselves driving a car developed to suit Max Verstappen and, although they might get to compete for the occasional race win, throughout the course of a season they will be relegated to a subservient role in support of Verstappen's WDC challenge. I think Ricciardo decided he wanted more than to be a wingman like Bottas was for Hamilton and took a chance with another team to try to set himself apart. It hasn't worked out well given that he doesn't like the McLaren car, but I can certainly respect his decision to try to set himself apart from that of a journeyman.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

I agree, that's fully what he thought he'd be. And being paid 30 million big ones and number 1 status at Renault wasn't the worst move. The Honda engine was far from a proven engine and the argument that renault brought him was quite good: Number 1 status, "proven" engine (more reliable than Honda), and if the Honda again failed, a very good shot at 3rd or 2nd best team, and the 30 million.

Ricciardo and Max have a pretty similar driving style in what they want from the car so he would've provided a stronger challenge in 19, 20 and 21.

If I was in Ric's shoes 2018, the renault move would be a coin flip as well. Looking at how dominant Max became in 2018, I'd probably started to lean towards the Renault seat as well....


In any case, he didn't grow poor out of it. He's surely worth triple digit millions by now. A World Championship may start to look more and more unlikely but certainly nothing will stop him enjoying racing in the foreseeable future, be it F1, indycar, Le Mans (which will be very exciting soon) or even Nascar, something he's a big fan off and expressed interest in. I think particularly in indycar he'll do very well, his amazing capability on the brakes will see him race up front.

 

For a few years, Red Bull has become Team Verstappen, and that cannot be pleasant all the time for the #2.
We don't know how the human relations are, but I would expect Horner and Marko to be overbearing to say the least.
I see Ricciardo's departure to Renault as an escape from Red Bull, even if Renault had less potential. Financially, it was a win-win situation.
Perez seems to cope better and makes the most of the situation.

 

Perez was out of a drive completely until Red Bull brought him back into the sport. The way he lost his drive after all he did for keeping his old team alive was pretty cutthroat as well as short-sighted given his continued good form.

While I'm sure he didn't want to be the #2, he does look like he's having a good time in a championship-capable car running at the front.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Nor was it pleasant when it was Team Vettel.

 

No, Mark Webber can testify to that !

 

These new cars are of a more natural under steer than the last formula. This has helped Perez. Max is not as keen on it. Perez has skill but without mech DNF Max would be further ahead of Perez. The team wanted a wingman to allow more strategy options for Max and the team. It has worked out well overall. I think the focus is Max but not as overt now.

 

Truth is Perez and Sainz stand no chance against drivers like Max and Charles because Verstappen and Leclerc are generational talents.
Absolutely normal Red Bull and Ferrari prioritizes them.

 

But why has Mercedes been criticised for doing the same with Hamilton for many years then?

Perez and Sainz aren't called "butler", or wingman?

 

Because Mercedes was way more dominant than Red Bull and Ferrari today.
No real competition between 2014 and 2021;

 

I think double standards are applied here: it's OK for Red Bull and Ferrari, but not for Mercedes.

No team, dominant or not, wishes to see internal rivalry threaten its success.

We saw in the past McLaren and Williams missing out on a title because they let their drivers race each other.