Ricciardo on McLaren: 'We ran out of ideas to change it'

Daniel Ricciardo is happy that the season in Formula 1 is over. The Australian did everything he could in his second year of racing at McLaren to live up to expectations, but once again disappointed. It made the experienced driver sense that the team was going to say goodbye to him.

Ricciardo made the switch from Renault to McLaren in early 2021. The British formation had hoped that with his experience and qualities he would be able to raise the team's level further, but instead teammate Lando Norris performed better.

The driver noticed that within the team this season they were also at a loss as to how to resolve the situation with Ricciardo. "A slight suspicion was already there," he states about his departure in conversation with Auto, Motor und Sport. "I could see my results and I was not happy with them myself. And we ran out of ideas to change it."

"I could no longer be sure that the contract would be fulfilled until the end. There was already a hunch that something was afoot. The two seasons were just not good enough. And there was growing doubt in the team."

Ricciardo's return to Red Bull

Announcing his departure, Ricciardo received several offers to become a reserve driver. In the end, Red Bull Racing managed to strike, making his return next season to the team where he was most successful.