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‘Lost’ Daniel Ricciardo Under Threat as New Contender Emerges for McLaren F1 Seat
Daniel Ricciardo may be fading into oblivion. ‘Honey Badger’ joined the British team McLaren in 2021 as Carlos Sainz’s replacement. Paired alongside Britisher Lando Norris, McLaren expected him to catch up soon and maybe even lead the team. Unfortunately for all parties involved, the car did not suit Ricciardo’s driving style, and he was far off from what they may have expected.
Just about a year ago, F1 fans thought he still had it in him to be a world champion. But with McLaren, Ricciardo remains under the shadow of Lando Norris.
Formula One F1 – Brazilian Grand Prix – Jose Carlos Pace Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil – November 11, 2021 McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo during the press conference FIA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES
Often outpaced and out-qualified by a much younger teammate, Ricciardo seems to be losing his shine. Once a lone warrior, fighter, and late-breaker, the Aussie has quite lost his racing edge. This has led to many in the F1 world penning their takes on Ricciardo’s future.
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Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Colton Herta
Famous British journalist Joe Saward penned down his thoughts about Ricciardo. In a section of JoeBlogsF1 (F1 stories from Joe Saward), he wrote: “Australians are pretty excited about F1 at the moment, although Daniel Ricciardo seems a little lost at McLaren and there continue to be rumours that in 2024 (if not earlier) Daniel will be replaced by Colton Herta, the American who Zak Brown believes could open the gates of Formula 1 to corporate America.”
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 14: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 prepares to drive in the garage during Formula 1 testing at Yas Marina Circuit on December 14, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“We will have to see if Herta has everything needed to be an F1 star, but he seems to have the speed, whether he can go on being a drummer in a rock band called Zibs in his spare time remains to be seen, as F1 is a fulltime job.”
Giving us some insider news, Saward revealed details about Colton Herta. The 22-year-old, who drives under the Andretti Harding Steinbrenner banner in the IndyCar series, is the youngest person to ever win an IndyCar Series race. To confirm Saward’s comments, McLaren indeed asked Herta to participate in their testing program.
Putting everything into perspective, Ricciardo might just be nearing his career end. However, ‘Honey Badger’ fans will believe that he can turn it around.
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