Monaco F1 Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo crashes out of practice

The smash is just another disappointing chapter in Ricciardo’s 2022 season, after a disappointing showing at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo suffered a horror start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend after crashing out of second practice.

The Australian F1 star collided with the barriers at the infamous swimming pool chicane, crumpling the front end of his McLaren.

Ricciardo appeared to be uninjured in the crash, but his car suffered extensive damage.

“It was strange. I think if anyone crashes there you normally see on the exit if they take maybe too much kerb in Turn 14 and then lose the car. But I already started losing the car pretty much before Turn 13,” Ricciardo said.

“We pushed a little too far probably in a couple areas with the set-up. We had a good morning and obviously you try a few things for FP2 to try and maximise a bit more performance but let’s say we overstepped it and you don’t know until you try it.

“Obviously, it was my first lap so I couldn’t really get much of a read on it obviously, it happened straight away.

“I tried my best to save it, but I couldn‘t. Obviously, we missed all of the session, but I’m okay.

“Anyway, tomorrow we have a chance again and I’m sure they’ll fix the car tonight and put it in a good place for tomorrow.”

The smash is just another disappointing chapter in Ricciardo’s 2022 season, after a disappointing showing at the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend.

McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo crashes during the second practice session at the Monaco street circuit. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)

McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo returns to the pit lane after a crash during the second practice session at the Monaco street circuit. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)

Earlier, Ricciardo said he expects to finish out his contract with McLaren despite the rumour mill going into overdrive once again about his future.

Ricciardo qualified ninth in Catalunya but struggled throughout the race to finish 13th as he barely fired a shot and was largely locked in a battle against Haas’ Mick Schumacher.

It was far from what Ricciardo needed as he has only claimed points once this season as his McLaren struggles continued.

The rumours have also been swirling as McLaren development driver Colton Herta is already seen as the man to take Ricciardo’s seat if he was moved on.

The Spanish Grand Prix was such a tough drive for Ricciardo, Zak Brown admitted that the experienced Aussie had not delivered what the team had expected.

The car of McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is lifted off the course after he crashed during the second practice session. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)

“Lando definitely has an edge,” the McLaren CEO told Sky Sports. “We obviously would like to see Daniel much closer to Lando and have a good inter-team battle.

“Daniel is just not comfortable yet with the car.

“We are trying everything we can, again it was a disappointing weekend.

“Short of (Ricciardo’s win at) Monza and a few races, it’s generally not kind of met his or our expectations, as far as what we were expecting.”

But when Ricciardo was questioned about the statement from last week ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, he accepted the criticism.

“It’s not false, it’s pretty true,” he said. “Firstly comments, I don’t take them personal. My skin is tanned, beautiful and also thick. No one’s going to be harder on me than myself.

“I don’t want to be racing around in 10th or 12th places. It’s been a little bit more certainly testing at times in terms of trying to get up and maximise myself in this car. But we’re working together hard at it. The team wants it, I want it, and we are just working through it.”

And Ricciardo reaffirmed that he was in it for the long run.

In his second year of a three-year contract, Ricciardo said he was definitely going to be in the seat until at least the end of 2023.

Ricciardo was despondent after last week’s race and said he hoped the team would find something wrong with the car “because it’s probably more concerning if we don’t”.

And he got his wish, revealing the team discovered an undisclosed issue with the car and fixed it ahead of Monaco.

“We basically found an issue on the car,” said Ricciardo. “It’s rectified and coming into this weekend we’re all sorted. It’s like a fresh start, let’s say.

“There is still more that I would like to be getting out of it, which sometimes I can see and then sometimes it’s less clear.

“I think we’ve also had a few things that have not gone let’s say our way and interrupted some of the sessions.”