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Daniel Ricciardo says “some things now do seem more clear to me” about the McLaren Formula 1 car after intensive work in the simulator since his Monaco Grand Prix struggles.
Ricciardo finished 12th in Monaco, and despite scoring points in the first fourth grands prix with best finishes of sixth at Imola and Barcelona, he hasn’t yet gelled with the McLaren MCL35M after his move from Renault.
But he is confident that the work he has done between races has allowed him to modify his approach to get more from the car, starting with this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“I did spend a good few days on the sim last week,” said Ricciardo. “It was just trying to take a step back, understand what’s going on, how the car works and what needs to be done to get the car working well.
“So in a way it’s… I don’t want to say start from zero because I’ve definitely learned a bit in the first few races – but I’ve just had more of an open mind and approach.
“We tried lots of different things. Even things that don’t feel, let’s say, correct, we’ll try them and then understand why that doesn’t work. So we just played around a lot.
“Certainly, some things now do seem more clear to me and I think it was really productive. So I’m just looking forward to putting that in play now on track.”
Ricciardo was baffled by his difficulties in Monaco, admitting that while he could see what team-mate Lando Norris could do with the car in the data, he wasn’t convinced he could do the same.
That led to him asking McLaren to give the car a thorough check in case of some hitherto undetected problem.
But Ricciardo has confirmed nothing was found – saying “the car was fine, no issues”.
He says that the priority in the simulator was working to adapt his style to better suit the car, meaning he had to work through some of the basics in order to build the understanding.
“It’s really trying to adapt my style and to work better with the car,” said Ricciardo when asked by The Race if the focus is on changing the car or his inputs as a driver.
“Sometimes I’ll do what I think is right and do what’s worked for the last few years and it doesn’t quite work well. Then it’s like, ‘well why doesn’t it?’ and then it becomes frustrating – you question that it should work.
“But that’s why I think the last week especially I just took a step back and didn’t completely restart, but started from a step behind and then built.
“Once it clicks and it becomes right, then people will all of a sudden be back on the Ricciardo train” :: Daniel Ricciardo
“That helped me understand a lot better what the car is doing and what we’re trying to achieve with the car. It’s definitely more clear and now I’ve just got to basically put that onto the track and execute it.
“Racecars are interesting pieces of machinery – they always have been, they always will be. But I truly believe this weekend I’ve come in with a much better understanding of what needs to be done.”
Although Ricciardo has faced intense scrutiny for his struggles after moving to McLaren, he shrugged off the impact of such criticism on him, stressing that it’s only the pressure he puts on himself that has an effect.
But despite his difficulties, the seven-time grand prix winner stressed that he’s never had any doubts about his capacity to deliver once he clicks with the car.
“The one person that will get under my skin is myself,” said Ricciardo. “That’s where emotion comes out from me in that I want to deliver for myself, for the team and for everyone who supports me and believes in me.
“But in saying that, I know that it’s not something that I have any self-doubt [about]. I know deep inside me what I’m capable of and I’d know if I was driving with an element of fear or hesitation. Then I would know that ‘OK, this sport’s not for me anymore’.
“But it’s very much not the case, so I know it’s just about putting it together now.
“I would love to have it now, or have had it already a few races ago, but that’s where maybe I lean on my experience in the sport.
“It’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint. Of course, you want to be able to deliver every race, but I know in whatever race’s time, once it clicks and it becomes right, then people will all of a sudden be back on the Ricciardo train.”
