Daniel Ricciardo has been pouring through the data following Spanish Grand Prix disappointment for McLaren and is targeting a bounce back after a difficult race week. The Australian driver started the race two places ahead of younger teammate, Lando Norris, after qualifying inside the top 10 with an impressive Saturday performance. But on race day, his weekend turned. Ricciardo ended the day in 12th and four places down on Norris as the Briton extended his 28-point teammate advantage. Norris is now seventh in F1's standings, behind only drivers from Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari; Ricciardo is 11th.
Bouncing back in the aim for Monaco GP
In an honest admission following the Spanish Grand Prix, McLaren boss Zak Brown publicly admitted that, since joining the team from Renault in 2021, Ricciardo has not achieved what he or the team had expected. Brown would go on to add that he hopes "whatever is not clicking at the moment, clicks shortly." For Ricciardo, the target at the Monaco Grand Prix will be to rediscover his long lost form with his eyes set firmly on a second top 10 finish of the 2022 season. “I’m bouncing back from a difficult race and looking forward to getting stuck into the Monaco weekend," said Ricciardo. "I have a lot of history with this race so I’m hoping to make a mark in the MCL36 this year and score some points for the team. "The atmosphere around Monaco is always exciting so it will be great to soak it all up. I'm also really looking forward to the short commute to track from my home."
Ricciardo has had eyes on the data since Spain
Since disappointment in Spain, and amid Brown's public assessment, Ricciardo says he has been searching for answers as he looks to cut the gap to his teammate. Ricciardo's struggles come with McLaren youngsters Pato O'Ward and Colton Herta thriving in IndyCar. Herta won last time out at Indianapolis (road course) while O'Ward was the victor one event prior, in Alabama. O'Ward will start Sunday's Indy500 inside the top 10 with Brown likely to be watching closely. “Off the back of Spain, I’ve got my head in the data with the engineers to make sure we’re in the best position possible to fight for a top 10 finish," continued Ricciardo. "We learnt a lot about the car, particularly with the good upgrades, and I have great trust in the team for us to keep improving. Hopefully we can put together a solid weekend."
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