After two seasons with Renault, Daniel Ricciardo started 2021 and McLaren was his new home. The partnership with the British team led him to his eighth win at the Monza Grand Prix, but that was the only real aberration in what could also be described as a year of getting used to. The 32-year-old had a hard time reaching the level of his teammate Lando Norris, especially in the first stage of the season. The McLaren MCL35M required a driving style that Ricciardo had to adapt to.
This was the second time Ricardo had noticed such a move. This actually happened when he switched from Red Bull Racing to Renault. However, the Australian also sees something positive in the way he has had to adapt. “I really saw some personal growth when I switched from Red Bull to Renault. But I think there are two factors that have made this year the most important year so far in this regard. One of them was the challenge that the car presented and trying to deal with it,” Ricciardo said. Speedcafe. Another factor that played a role in this is the fallout from the coronavirus.
The McLaren driver returned to Australia after the end of the season in Abu Dhabi. This is the first time since early 2020 when he was in his home country for the Australian Grand Prix. After the previous Formula 1 season started with a delay in July, Ricciardo was unable to come back for a year and a half which resulted in him being put on hold. “You just don’t have the comforts of home or the family environment you’re used to. When you live in the house, I think sometimes you take it for granted, because it’s there. But when I left Australia and moved away from my family I noticed it more clearly.” “Now that I haven’t seen them in a long time, this is something bigger. I came to appreciate other things in life, not just racing, and I think I grew up because of that.”
The 2022 Formula 1 season is scheduled to start on March 20, 2022. The year will start 23 races after that with the Bahrain Grand Prix. For Ricciardo, this is the start of his eleventh full season in the First Division, in which he will once again play alongside Norris for McLaren.
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