Daniel Ricciardo, the new McLaren driver is gearing up for the upcoming race in Portugal. The Australian further claims to do better than his last performance in Imola.
The 31-year-old Aussie had a tough weekend in Italy, finishing at P6, whereas his teammate Lando Norris finished third. In last season, Ricciardo was ahead of Norris but in 2021, he can’t match with the young Briton.
Lando Norris of McLaren F1 motivates his teammate Daniel Ricciardo after the Aussie’s poor performance at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on April 18, 2021, in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images)
Ricciardo had claimed not comfortable with the MCL35M and slowly he’s adapting to the Woking stables. Therefore, the Australian will soon bring out the full potential from his 2021 ride. He further claims to do better in the upcoming race.
The Honey Badger reported in a recent interview, “I left Imola a bit flat. I still knew there was a lot of work to do, so I want to leave Portugal feeling like I’ve ticked a few more boxes.”
Daniel Ricciardo will get stronger in few more races
The 31-year-old joined the English outfit after his two-year stint with Renault F1. However, Ricciardo left the French constructor when the Enstone stables failed to fulfill their promise.
The Honey Badger still isn’t able to shine in the orange car. However, even during the first season in 2019 with Renault, he didn’t win a single race, but he showcased some brilliant driving during the second season. Thus, he might soon match the pace with his teammate Norris in the ongoing F1 season.
Third-placed Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Renault Sport F1 celebrates on the podium with a shoey during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari on November 01, 2020, in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
However, if Ricciardo fails in this season, then also he will have two more seasons to prove his worth. Ricciardo is ranking at P7 on the 2021 Driver Standings with 14 points, while Norris is ahead of him at P3 with 27 points.
For @DanielRicciardo, this weekend's #PortugueseGP is an opportunity to kick-on and show what he's capable of. 👊🇵🇹
Check out our race preview for more insight from the team out in Portimão. 💬⤵️
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) April 27, 2021
Daniel Ricciardo will again go behind the wheels of the McLaren (3) MCL35M at the Heineken Grande Prémio De Portugal 2021 on May 02. He might finally get to perform his notorious ‘shoey’ celebration with Norris at the Portuguese circuit.
