Daniel Ricciardo had a nightmarish two years with McLaren that saw his contract cut short prematurely. The Honey Badger toiled hard to compete against his teammate Lando Norris but failed in both seasons. However, according to executive technical director James Key and new team principal Andrea Stella, he had a quality that helped the team immensely. A quality that young Lando does not possess.

Ever since his arrival at McLaren, Ricciardo struggled to adapt to the car. Despite that, he managed to score a win in Italy in 2021. However, on the overall points tally, he lost against Norris. The 2022 season was even worse for the Aussie as he failed to register a win and qualify for the Q3 sessions on Saturdays. Resultantly, the Woking-based team finished 5th in the constructors’ championship behind rivals Alpine. James Key does not see those two years wasted, though.

“He’s always been good technically, and he brought us that second reference point from someone who could feel a car and knew what was going on. He brought that experience,” he recently said while briefing media, including GP Fans.

Key continued, “He obviously brought reference points from other teams, which obviously Lando doesn’t. He’s grown up in McLaren, so we had that reference point from Daniel as well.”

“From the difficulties, we gained technical knowledge, driving knowledge, because rather than becoming immediately difficult conversations, there were conversations where we could get to the bottom of what we saw in the data, what was his feeling,” freshly appointed team principal Andrea Stella explained. “That was an extremely positive process from which everyone learned, as to what is the ethos and what is even the emotional approach, if you want, to your job and to human interactions.”

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Ricciardo joined Red Bull as their third driver and will stay away from regular action for at least a year.

Helmut Marko reveals what role Daniel Ricciardo will play at Red Bull

As Red Bull announced Ricciardo’s arrival, many saw the move as a threat to Sergio Perez’s position in the team. Helmut Marko, however, trashed any such speculations and defined what Daniel’s role will be limited to.

In a recent interview with ServusTV, Marko said, “We have to remember that we are a great team.”

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“We also have the largest number of sponsors on the grid. This means that we also have many commitments every year, such as car shows and roadshows in the United States,” he continued. “Who can do it better than Ricciardo with his smile, his shoeys and I don’t know what else he has up his sleeve?”

Watch This Story: Daniel Ricciardo’s Best Moments in F1

Daniel does have a beaming smile. One that fans will be eager to see soon and hope for his return in 2024.