McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has said he hopes “s**t hits the fan” when the new Formula 1 rules are introduced for the 2022 season and that it helps make for more exciting racing out on track. Mercedes have won every F1 championship since the introduction of turbo-hybrid powertrains in 2014, with Sir Lewis Hamilton taking home the drivers’ trophy in each of those seasons with the exception of 2016 when he was bested by teammate Nico Rosberg. However, with significant changes to the sports regulations set for 2022, Ricciardo reckons that the rest of the grid will have their best chance to challenge for honours against the dominant German outfit, he told Square Mile. "I really hope shit hits the fan in a good way… It really should do on paper – everyone’s best chance to challenge Lewis and Mercedes." And while he reckons other drivers could have had similar success in Hamilton’s car, the Aussie emphasises that no one else on the current grid has had to deal with the pressure the Brit has even if the machinery at his disposal has been all conquering. "I think where we can’t be too aggressive or disrespectful to Lewis is that, do a few of us believe we could beat him? Yes," Ricciardo said. "I’m quite sure of that. But none of us have ever been in the hunt for a title. None of us have dealt with that pressure. None of us have had that year after year. "Pretty much every weekend he rocks up to a race. Yes, he has the best car, but he’s also expected to win all the time. And if he doesn’t, it’s ‘okay, what happened to Lewis?’"
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