Daniel Ricciardo’s woes cost McLaren ‘tens of millions of dollars’

Daniel Ricciardo’s known for his happy-go-lucky attitude but he was in a world of pain as everything went wrong at McLaren.

Daniel Ricciardo has suffered some rough moments on track. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)

Daniel Ricciardo’s mysterious struggles in his debut season with McLaren are laid bare for all to see in the new season of popular Netflix series Drive to Survive.

After making the move from Renault in 2021, the Aussie F1 star found it difficult to adjust to his new car and he came crashing back to reality, playing second fiddle to younger teammate Lando Norris.

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The Brit finished sixth in the drivers’ championship, well ahead of Ricciardo, who found some form briefly to win the Italian Grand Prix but still ended the season in eighth spot.

Ricciardo hit rock bottom in Monaco, when he finished 12th after being lapped by Norris, who nabbed the final spot on the podium.

His woes contributed to McLaren sliding down to fourth in the constructors’ standings last year — one spot lower than their 2020 result of third.

Ricciardo couldn’t explain what was going wrong. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Speaking on Drive to Survive, McLaren boss Zak Brown said the difference between third and fourth in the team standings, in monetary terms, is “tens of millions of dollars”. He also reflected on his surprise at how poorly Ricciardo adapted to life at his new home, specifically referencing the Monaco debacle.

“I’ve never experienced this situation where you see one car finishing third and the other not competitive,” Brown said.

“Daniel struggled, which surprised us, because Monaco is kind of his home race, he’s won it before.

“I don’t think he yet feels quite comfortable with the car. For sure, that’s frustrating, it’s thrown us a curveball.”

In an interview with Netflix, Ricciardo said: “This sport, it definitely has the ability to rip your heart out, from one day to the next.”

Before the first race of 2021 Ricciardo optimistically predicted an “array of podiums” by season’s end — but he managed that feat just once, in Italy.

At his lowest ebb after another poor result, Ricciardo is shattered and doesn’t want to face questions from journalists.

“What’s the fine if I don’t do media?” he asks a McLaren staffer. “It’s embarrassing.”

He’ll be hoping for a better start in 2022. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Ricciardo’s former boss at Red Bull, Christian Horner, is filmed asking a McLaren team member why things were going so wrong for Ricciardo.

In the second episode of the new Drive to Survive season, F1 broadcaster Jennie Gow summed up the mood surrounding the Aussie, with so many people feeling sorry for the good guy of the grid.

“Everybody wants to know what’s happened to Daniel Ricciardo,” Gow says.

“Everything you hoped Daniel would bring to the team has disappeared. It’s heartbreaking.”