McLaren lifts lid on problems with Ricciardo

A elder McLaren enforcement has fixed a elaborate penetration into the struggles facing Daniel Ricciardo successful 2021.

The Australian has been near successful the wake of teammate Lando Norris, who has scored 113 points to Ricciardo's 50 this season.

Crucially, Norris, who is successful his 3rd play with McLaren, has ne'er driven for different team, meaning the idiosyncrasies of the car are each helium knows.

Ricciardo, by contrast, is with his 3rd antithetic outfit successful 4 seasons, with each squad requiring a alteration to his earthy driving style.

In an interrogation with motorsport.com, McLaren's Andrea Stella says the antithetic characteristics of the car can't beryllium underestimated.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen thrust during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

"(Ricciardo) came from the other extremity successful presumption of however you would similar to thrust an F1 car," helium said. "Our car requires immoderate peculiar adaptation, let's say.

"I deliberation it's nary concealed that our car is bully successful high-speed corners for example. It whitethorn not beryllium the champion car erstwhile you person to rotation velocity successful the corner, arsenic different example.

"So portion we are trying to set immoderate of the characteristics to marque it a small spot much earthy to drive, astatine the aforesaid time, the astir important happening is to present aerodynamic efficiency."

In an interrogation with Wide World of Sports past month, nine-time expansive prix victor Mark Webber described however Ricciardo was struggling connected the introduction to corners, peculiarly those that required a important alteration of direction.

Webber said the trouble getting the car into the apex made the remainder of the country particularly tricky.

Stella pointed retired that Ricciardo's earthy benignant simply doesn't suit the McLaren, and fixing the occupation would instrumentality immoderate time.

Daniel Ricciardo (Getty)

"He is simply a operator who likes to rotation the velocity successful the corner, not needfully onslaught the braking, arsenic overmuch arsenic our car requires," helium said.

"And I deliberation we understood precise rapidly what the contented was, successful presumption of exploiting each the speed.

"And knowing this is good, successful a mode we could exemplary this aspect, which means past you cognize what to bash successful presumption of moving connected the simulator, moving successful presumption of coaching the operator to immoderate aspects.

"And truthful this is successful hand, and this is understood. But successful F1 the advancement that we spot is not needfully similar a power from contention to race."

Daniel Ricciardo driving his McLaren during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of France. (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Not lone has Ricciardo had to accommodate his benignant to a caller car, he's had to bash truthful successful a play wherever his clip successful the car is limited.

Pre-season investigating was constricted to conscionable 3 days, to beryllium shared betwixt some drivers, portion Friday signifier sessions are not lone shorter than ever before, but captious mentation clip for the play ahead, hardly the perfect spot to beryllium trying to overhaul your earthy style.

"Sometimes I marque the illustration of a musician," said Stella.

Daniel Ricciardo drives his McLaren astatine the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary. (Getty)

"You tin archer him however to play a guitar, you tin usage a batch of theory, but astatine immoderate stage, you volition person to walk rather a batch of clip with the guitar and marque rather a batch of exercise.

"And you don't needfully instrumentality a measurement successful a concert, astir of the advancement you marque you marque it erstwhile you enactment successful the inheritance astatine home, and you walk hours and hours exercising."

Stella pointed retired that the idiosyncrasies of this year's McLaren person been honed implicit a fig of years, making it intolerable to accommodate the car to suit Ricciardo's style. Instead, the Australian indispensable find a mode to get the champion retired of the McLaren.

"We've been scratching our heads, however agelong bash these characteristics spell backmost successful time? How overmuch person we embedded immoderate of the characteristics?" Stella asked.

"I deliberation it goes backmost to immoderate seasons earlier the existent season.

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo astatine the British Grand Prix (Getty)

"There are immoderate cars that tin make a batch of their laptime successful a corner, and determination are immoderate cars that tin make a batch of the laptime, for example, successful the consecutive enactment portion of braking."

Despite the struggles, Stella says the squad has nary regrets implicit the determination to enlistee Ricciardo.

"We bash spot advancement step-by-step," helium said. "And we besides spot the contention trade of Daniel, which is precise complete. So if anything, the cardinal spot we request to adhd astatine the infinitesimal is that small spot of speed," helium said.

"Somehow we support enjoying the journey. I'm precise optimistic for the future."

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