“A really sad race” for Daniel Ricciardo in Spain

So qualifying for Q3 on Saturday was only illusory? This is the question we are entitled to ask regarding Daniel Ricciardo after the Spanish Grand Prix. The Australian, who qualified 9th on Saturday, was completely out of contention throughout the race on Sunday and finished in 12th place. Another finish outside the points, the third in a row for Ricciardo this season.

At the same time, an ailing Lando Norris managed to pocket the 4 points for 8th place. A snub for the “Honey Badger” who struggles to find an explanation for his lack of rhythm. “(…) I will look for (answers) during the debriefing and in the coming hours. Yes, (the pace) wasn't there from the start, and it wasn't like I only had understeer: I had some but it was a general lack of grip." admitted the pilot McLaren after the race.

Yet author of a good start with an 8th place at the end of the first round, Ricciardo was then quickly dropped by Or with, Norris et tsunoda. “I thought at the start of the race we were really slow and I thought maybe the temperatures were too high or there was something wrong with the tires. At the start you are obviously fighting against other cars and problems like that can happen. » Despite the strategy, the Australian driver admits never knowing how to make his tires work correctly. “But we did a three-stop race, so I had four sets of tires today and I was very, very slow on all of them. It was a really, really sad ride. »

Ricciardo struggling despite developments

A big disappointment for Ricciardo and McLaren, especially since the British team had made around ten changes to the MCL36. Arriving in Barcelona with great expectations, the current 11th in the championship left Catalonia with great disappointment. “Everyone came here this weekend curious about how the cars were going to perform. It's one of those races where when you're that slow, you hope something is wrong, you hope you find something that makes you say 'here's the problem', because it's more worrying if we don't find it. not. »

Almost fatalistic at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo could not find an ounce of hope after the race. “Like I said, I wasn't just a tenth or two tenths off, it was sometimes more than a second. I don't know for sure, but I've seen cars pass me and move away very quickly. Yeah, it was difficult. » The Australian wants to quickly forget this Catalan event and turn to Monaco. A race he won in 2018…at Red Bull. Last year, Ricciardo finished one lap behind his teammate Lando Norris, the latter also took a podium in the Principality.
 
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