What has happened to Daniel Ricciardo? Why is the Australian struggling so much with the car that he sits 43 points behind his teammate, Lando Norris? The Honey Badger apparently has no answer to it himself. But why? Reports of the driver not being able to get the most out of the car have been doing the rounds, but Ricciardo’s consistent poor form has also surprised fans.

The 2022 season is one to forget for Ricciardo. His alliance with McLaren made the fans excited, making him important for the Woking team to perform better. In fact, the Aussie could’ve also potentially led the British team as a spearhead. However, his much younger teammate has managed to outperform him in almost every race.

The 33-year-old, when asked about his bland British GP performance, said, “Little bit confused by that at the moment – it’s clear what I felt, but the reasons why… not sure.” 

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The driver has consistently complained about not getting enough grip with the car, which is ultimately not suiting his style. Like this, Ricciardo has, in a way, questioned his team over a consistent lack of pace and unanswerable low performance.

Surprisingly, the McLaren driver’s latest points came from Azerbaijan GP. There he was a direct threat to his teammate, even having more pace than Norris at one point.

Arguably, Ricciardo has looked possibly the most promising in that particular race, after his home GP. That was the most challenging he has been till now to his teammate, finishing a place ahead of Norris. However, with a DNF for 6 cars, the British GP presented much better room to the Australian for scoring points.

Can Daniel Ricciardo help McLaren maintain a P4?

Even McLaren CEO Zak Brown has openly criticized the driver. Further, Ricciardo has been under fire from all angles, with many starting to doubt his position and skill in F1. Shockingly, Ricciardo sits at only 15 points this year till now, after mechanical problems have also plagued his machinery time and again.

However, McLaren has something much bigger to be bothered about. Team Alpine currently sits at 67 points on the constructors and is just 6 points behind them. Amidst Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon’s frequent double points finishs, Alpine is a real threat to the British team.

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If the team wishes to maintain a P4, Ricciardo will be required to step up his game. Otherwise, 6 points are not the most difficult overtake, given Alonso has been a threat even for the front row. So, what do you think will happen now? Can Ricciardo do it?