F1: Daniel Ricciardo’s treatment by McLaren draws conflicting opinions in sport known for its brutality

Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula One sacking was brutal to say the least, but was it unfair? Emily Benammar and Julian Linden argue it out. HAVE YOUR SAY

The brutality of McLaren's treatment of Daniel Ricciardo is beyond belief. Picture: AFP.

Notorious for its brutality, Formula One’s latest saga involving the axing of Daniel Ricciardo has splintered camps as to whether we should feel sorry for the popular driver.

Emily Benammar and Julian Linden give their contrasting opinions on how the Australian’s exit with McLaren management should played out.

Blood sport: Ricciardo knew the stakes were high

- Julian Linden

McLaren’s deceitful treatment of Daniel Ricciardo is a brutally harsh reminder that Formula One remains one of the most cutthroat sports in the world.

But don’t shed too many tears for Ricciardo because the loveable Aussie knows full well that motorsport’s premier class is a blood sport — which he not only signed up for but that he’s also benefited from.

There’s no one in Formula One who doesn’t respect Ricciardo’s driving ability — or his quirky behaviour — but there’s unlikely to be a lot of genuine sympathy in the paddock after his shoddy axing by McLaren.

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Daniel Ricciardo has produced an embarrassing sequence of results since joining McLaren.

McLaren’s double-dealing and dishonesty over Ricciardo is disgraceful but no one should be surprised because this is the merciless side of the sport that you don’t see on Drive To Survive.

The Netflix series has been a ratings bonanza for bringing millions of new fans to the sport but it’s also been heavily criticised for sugar-coating the ruthless actions that really take place behind the scenes.

Ricciardo has been one of the stars of the Netflix series but a flop on the track since he joined McLaren. No one can dispute that.

Aside from his breakthrough win in Italy last year, he has been getting beaten hands down almost every weekend by his younger British teammate Lando Norris.

And if Ricciardo wants to take a look in the mirror and be really honest about why he’s lost his spot at McLaren, then the 33-year-old needs to look no further than his embarrassing sequence of results since he joined the team.

For a driver with his ability and record, it’s been painful to watch him struggling race after race so it was only a matter of time before his contract was terminated early.

McLarens’ actions look heartless because they could spell the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career unless he’s offered a seat in another team even further back on the grid.

But don’t feel too sorry for the Honey Badger because he’s done all right out of the sport and he’s also been the master of his own destiny.

Ricciardo has done very well out of the industry and has been the master of his own destiny in most instances.

No-one needs to remind Ricciardo that he was the one who walked away from a prized seat at Red Bull — where he was already winning races — for more money at French team Renault.

It was the worst kept secret in F1 that he couldn’t cope with getting beaten by his rising superstar teammate Max Verstappen but Red Bull’s bosses urged him to stay and fight the Dutchman for the title — even offering him an increased contract.

But he chose to leave and accept a two-year-deal with Renault, estimated to be worth $40 million and while that made him one of the highest paid drivers in the sport, it also marked the beginning of his slide down the grid.

Renault promised things would get better with time and the signs were encouraging when Ricciardo had two podium finishes in his second season.

But in another major shock, the Australian announced halfway through his two-year deal with the French team, that he was already ditching them after 2020 so he could drive for their biggest rivals McLaren.

And in a sport where everyone literally drives around in circles, what goes around, always comes back around.

Diabolical disrespect: Ricciardo F1 treatment is shameful

- Emily Benammar

Even in the cutthroat results driven world of Formula One, the brutality of McLaren’s exposed backstabbing of popular Australian star Daniel Ricciardo is beyond belief.

McLaren and their rich American owner Zak Brown might have landed their man — the hottest young talent coming through the ranks in Australia’s F2 champion Oscar Piastri — but the ruthlessness of their pursuit, lies and subterfuge towards Ricciardo is an utter disgrace.

It was the worst kept secret in F1 handled with diabolical levels of disrespect.

Given his underpar performances, Ricciardo’s spot at McLaren was always going to be in danger, there’s no denying that.

Consistently outperformed by a teammate most would consider a number two driver, not even the West Australian has denied the fact he failed to gel with the car and deliver what was expected of him.

Yet every race weekend, Ricciardo has held his hands up and owned his faults. He’s fronted the media to explain why things didn’t go his way as well as address incessant questioning about his future.

It’s not all Ricciardo’s fault. Norris has managed just one podium all season and both cars have consistently been off the pace set by Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

The brutality of McLaren's treatment of Daniel Ricciardo is beyond belief. Picture: AFP.

In Ricciardo’s entire time at McLaren the only time the team looked capable of a race win, it was the Australian who delivered to give the once mighty team their first F1 victory in a decade at Monza last year.

But Ricciardo’s future speculation has been going on for months. He’s been under immeasurable pressure in a sport that traditionally shows little loyalty or care for driver ego. And he’s done it all without even so much as a wobble to the famous smile we have come to love.

While results have consistently gone against Ricciardo, his application and professionalism has not wavered. It’s a shame the same cannot be said about his employers.

Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl should be ashamed of how they have carried on this season.

False promises of a united future committed to getting the best out of their driver, public shaming of the only person to have won a race in a McLaren for 12 years and threats of “mechanisms to end contracts early.”

Finally and perhaps most brutally, a third party releasing information proving Ricciardo was always going to be sacked.

On Friday, F1’s Contract Recognition Board (CRB) approved McLaren’s contract to sign Piastri – a deal signed on July 4 of this year.

The date was the Monday after the British Grand Prix, nine days before Ricciardo made a public statement of commitment to McLaren, despite their ongoing struggles for form.

The lack of success at McLaren is not all Ricciardo’s fault. Picture: Getty Images.

“There have been a lot of rumours around my future in Formula One, but I want you to hear it from me,” Ricciardo said on July 13.

“I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and am not walking away from the sport.”

When negotiations first began still remains a mystery, but it’s clear McLaren decided long ago they were getting rid of the eight-times F1 race winner.

Seidl echoed Ricciardo’s commitment on July 24 saying: “From our point of view, there was never any speculation required.

“We have been clear from our side that we have a contract in place. The statement wasn’t a surprise, it was just confirming where we both are together.

But that was a lie. They’d signed Piastri weeks earlier but were willing to string Ricciardo on before terminating his contract on August 25 which was compounded by the Aussie admitting he knew nothing of the timeline when asked in Holland.

“To be honest on the dates, that’s the first I’ve heard. I’m not aware of obviously timelines and what the team is discussing,” he said after the Piastri news was made public.

McLaren had already signed Oscar Piastri before terminating Ricciardo’s contract. Picture: Getty Images.

It’s not just McLaren’s treatment of Ricciardo that raises questions about how Brown is running things, the team has single-handedly managed to turn Piastri’s F1 debut deal into a scandal not a celebration.

Brown and Seidl were due to front media at 10:45pm AEST on Friday, between practice one and two and the Dutch Grand Prix, however the press conference was cancelled at the last minute.

Little more than an hour later, McLaren released a statement confirming Piastri’s signing.

Not only did they minimise the occasion by releasing a statement instead of hosting an event of sorts, the timing of the announcement was ridiculous.

It screamed distraction to their other driver’s name being dragged through the mud because of leaked messages shared between him and a model that is not his girlfriend, but it also set Ricciardo up for yet another weekend of media grilling.

Compassion is not a word often affiliated with F1 but surely McLaren could have read the room a little better.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown (left) and Team Principal Andreas Seidl (right) should be ashamed for their treatment of Ricciardo. Picture: Getty Images.

Let a race weekend be about racing and announce a new driver signing once the action is done or better still during the summer break.

Zak Brown is a detrimental presence in F1. His bottomless pockets of cash might appeal to the powers that be and get him whatever deal he wants when he wants it, but it’s clearly not bought him any grace or class.

Ricciardo is yet to confirm his future and there are fears of a 2023 F1 grid without him. With Sebastian Vettel retiring at the end of the year, the sport can ill afford to lose any more experience or character.

Sadly, given the lack of competitive drives available, it feels like Ricciardo is lost to the sport, at least for now.

Originally published as F1: Daniel Ricciardo’s treatment by McLaren draws conflicting opinions in sport known for its brutality