Another poor outing leaves Daniel Ricciardo feeling "helpless", as he admits that to describe his feeling after Sunday's race as painful would be "an understatement".

It was another anonymous afternoon for the popular Australian, who is now unlikely to be on the grid next season.

Having been out-qualified by his teammate for the 17th time this season the previous day, Ricciardo, who started 15th was always going to have his work cut out. Then again, Esteban Ocon started from the pitlane and finished 10th, while Yuki Tsunoda started 19th and finished 9th... and then there's Fernando Alonso who started alongside Ricciardo.

On Thursday, riding a horse into the COTA paddock, his head held high, Ricciardo looked every bit the part, by Sunday evening he looked as though he was heading to the knackers yard.

"Last year was a struggle," he admitted, "but now I look back at last year, and I'm like, 'Oh, that's actually pretty good compared to this one'.

"I'm choosing to laugh because I don't really want to cry," he continued. "I'm still going to do what I can in the last three (races) but I'm at a point now where I'm not going to hope or think or expect that it's going to be an amazing last three races. I'll do what I can but days like today kind of leave you feeling a bit helpless."

Referring to his race, he said: "It's one of those ones where, like, it's happened all too often this year where, early in the race, I know... honestly, Lap 8, Lap 10... I know how the rest of the day is going to go. You can just feel it, you can also see what the other cars around can do, and simply what I'm not able to.

"If I knew, then the year would have would have been going better, but it's, again, not three, four tenths… even three, four tenths is massive," he admits. "I remember when I was with Max, three, four tenths and I'd be throwing things around in my room. But I'm seconds off nearly. It feels it feels so far off that. It's bizarre.

"When you think it can't get worse, it does," he added. "That's where, I don't know, I don't know how I'm continuing to continue because to say it's painful is an understatement.

"It's been the year that it's been... just so far off the pace, I simply can't lean on the car, I can't push, I can't get the time out of it. The inconsistency through the lap times, it shows that it really is a struggle, but to have such a really big margin again, it remains a mystery.

"I love Texas, I love Austin," he sighed, "but that race was not enjoyable for me."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Max Noble, 26/10/2022 0:13

"@ChikenFarmerF1 - good additional option. That could work if he played it right…"

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2. Posted by BillH, 25/10/2022 18:05

"@motorsport-fan, a Panis type of recovery is a lot trickier nowadays due to the lack of testing and as for showing what he can do in a front running car, well, Ricciardo's current team mate is showing what can be achieved in the current car.

I think DR's issue is a lack of confidence on what he can do in the car as he's not confident in doing what he's been able to do in other cars in the past.

It's such a shame that this driver and team (car) combination has worked out and seen DR dropped for the first time rather than leaving on his own time table.

That can't have helped in the confidence stakes either.

Perhaps doing a "Panis" should have been replaced by doing an "Albon", taking this one on the chin, going back down the grid to go, eventually, forward?"

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3. Posted by ChickenFarmerF1, 25/10/2022 14:50

"@Max Nobel - Option 4: A race seat in another series. e.g. WEC, F-E, Indy, WRC, etc. A season where he is highly competitive, especially if dominant might get him back to a decent F1 seat in a year or three."

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4. Posted by ChickenFarmerF1, 25/10/2022 14:45

"@Tardis40 - as Max mentioned, he's the last of the great late brakers. And his perma-smile is a nice change from the serious, dour expressions of so many on the grid. He's one of the bright spots in the grid. Unlike some others (cough, Latifi, cough) that won't be especially missed when they depart."

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5. Posted by Tardis40, 25/10/2022 12:17

"Drivers come an go all the time. What's the big deal about this one?"

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6. Posted by Max Noble, 25/10/2022 10:51

"Option 1: Becomes a TV talking head for leading F1 coverage channel… driving days over
Option 2: Works as test/reserve driver and confirms he has not lost it be performing at the same level as current “hot” drivers… driving days might return
Option 3: Works as test driver and is still miles off pace… driving days only coming back on a PlayStation…

Not sure what’s gone wrong, like Daniel himself, but the last of the late brakers needs to rediscover the magic…

"

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7. Posted by Kemawi, 25/10/2022 8:52

"He burnt his bridges at Red Bull and then burnt his bridges at Renault/Alpine. Both this teams could have been a Life Line for Ricardo, but he pi55ed off too many people in those organisations. Maybe not so "popular" with the teams."

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8. Posted by Motorsport-fan, 25/10/2022 8:28

"Such a shame to hear him speak like this, perhaps the test role being muted for either Red Bull or Mercedes would give him the chance to try a proven front running car to show to himself he can still do it."

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"I don't really want to cry," admits "helpless" Ricciardo

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