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Since joining McLaren last year, the Australian driver has lacked enthusiasm and is now struggling behind the wheel of his car. Former teammate of Max Verstappen at Red Bull, he needs to find solutions quickly to bounce back.
McLaren's 2024 season is shaped as much by off-track chemistry as it is by on-track results, and at the center of this story is Daniel Ricciardo, a driver whose smile and “shoey” celebrations have become as recognizable as his eight Grand Prix victories. The Australian's popularity has transformed him into a global ambassador for the sport, a role that Liberty Media cherishes as Formula 1's audience continues to grow. Yet the very qualities that make Ricciardo a fan favorite are now being weighed against a string of mediocre performances that have led the Woking-based team to question his future.
Ricciardo made his Formula 1 debut in 2011 with the now-defunct HRT team before joining Toro Rosso for two seasons, where he struggled to score points with an uncompetitive car. His promotion to Red Bull in 2014 saw him outperform teammate Sebastian Vettel, claiming his first wins in Canada, Hungary, and Belgium, and finishing third in the drivers' standings that year and again in 2016. After five seasons with Red Bull, he joined Renault in 2019, helping the French team return to the podium in 2020 and giving McLaren its first victory in nine years at Monza in 2021. In over ten years, Ricciardo has raced for five teams, accumulating eight victories, thirty-two podium finishes, sixteen fastest laps, and three pole positions. Only a handful of current drivers—Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Sergio Pérez—have recorded more Grand Prix starts. His career has spanned the sport's major regulatory changes, from the V8 era to the V6 turbo-hybrid formula introduced in 2014, giving him a deep technical knowledge that few can match.
Beyond the statistics, Ricciardo's charisma has helped to revamp McLaren's image. His laid-back humor, frequent banter with the media, and viral “shoey” celebrations have attracted young fans, especially after his appearance in the Netflix series Drive to Survive. In a sport often perceived as austere and business-focused, his presence brings a touch of lightheartedness that benefits both the team's brand image and its sponsors. However, the situation on the track is quite different. Since teaming up with Lando Norris in 2021, the Australian has struggled to keep pace with his teammate. Norris, now in his fourth year at McLaren, has regularly fought for podium finishes and ended the 2023 championship in fourth place, while Ricciardo has slipped to eighth, with his points heavily dependent on his surprise victory at Monza. This contrast has heightened internal pressure, with team management forced to weigh Ricciardo's experience and commercial value against the need to score points consistently. The debate over Ricciardo's future is no longer speculative. While his track record (ten years in F1, multiple wins, a reputation as an accomplished ambassador) argues strongly in favor of his retention, McLaren's ambition to climb the constructors' standings may require a driver capable of regularly finishing on the podium alongside Norris. As the season progresses, the balance between commercial appeal and competitive necessity will determine whether the Perth native remains a mainstay of the team or becomes a footnote in its evolution. Ricciardo's struggles in his first season at McLaren can be attributed to a new environment and a brand-new car. After a 2022 season that promised a return to form for the daring and fearless driver of the Red Bull era, the reality has been a growing gap between him and his teammate Lando Norris. While the car has proven difficult to master, Norris has consistently finished in the points and even secured a podium finish at Imola.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, is still searching for the right setup. He has entered a downward spiral, accumulating mistakes and appearing to drift on the track. More often than not, he is simply fighting to escape Q1 rather than qualifying for Q3, and the Australian seems to have lost both his sharp driving instinct and his fighting spirit.
A highly coveted seat When a driver falters in an F1 team, rumors inevitably begin to circulate, and Daniel Ricciardo is no exception. For weeks, the future of car No. 3 has been the subject of heated debate. At 32, the Australian is one of the oldest on the grid, while a new wave of talent, spurred on by Verstappen's dominance, is reshaping the sport. Pierre Gasly, winner of a Grand Prix two years ago, is one of those hopefuls, but his ambitions at Red Bull are being held back by the extension of Sergio Pérez's contract. With the top three teams having locked in their seats for several years, a drive at McLaren now represents the best chance for a driver to shine. The orange-colored team also has a pool of talent from IndyCar. Colton Herta, the youngest winner of the championship, is already part of an F1 test program, while Pato O'Ward is knocking on the door. Team principal Zak Brown has made O'Ward's potential promotion conditional on him winning the IndyCar title. With the “silly season” approaching, a period when the wildest rumors circulate in the paddock and contracts are signed, Ricciardo's future will undoubtedly remain the subject of speculation.
Management growing impatient Since Zak Brown took the reins at McLaren Racing, the team founded by Bruce McLaren has undergone a transformation: new livery, new management, new driver lineup, new sponsors… The knock-on effect has been largely positive. After languishing at the back of the pack a few seasons ago, McLaren is now fighting in the top half of the standings, finishing third in the constructors' championship in 2020 and battling Ferrari to the end last year to defend that position. Such a ranking puts pressure on management, as each position in the constructors' standings translates into millions of euros in bonuses. To maximize points, a team needs two competitive cars, a condition that McLaren does not currently have. Brown recently warned that Ricciardo was “not meeting the team's expectations.” With so much at stake, the American boss knows that McLaren cannot remain in this uncertain situation for long. Whether this comment was a deliberate provocation or a sincere assessment, Ricciardo must now urgently reverse the trend, or risk seeing his dream of a world title, which he cherished at the start of his career, slip further away.
