09/07/2021
NEWS STORY
McLaren boss, Andreas Seidl has admitted that Daniel Ricciardo's slow transition has disappointed the team and also the Australian.
Over the winter a number of drivers changed teams, but while the likes of Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Sebastian Vettel have mostly settled into their new homes, Daniel Ricciardo is still clearly struggling.
Ricciardo has had his moments since joining the Woking outfit, but for the most part has been out-qualified and out-raced by his young teammate, Lando Norris.
After 9 rounds, the Australian is eighth in the standings with 40 points, whilst Norris is fourth on 101, with three podium finishes.
"I don't think he imagined it would be so difficult to change teams," Seidl told RTL.
"He's disappointed and so are we, because we thought it would be faster," he added, referring to the transition.
Interestingly, other than a well-deserved drive to 6th in France, Ricciardo's form has dropped off in recent races following a fairly strong start to the season.
Indeed, of the last five races he has failed to make it into Q3 on four ocassions, whilst Norris started from the front row last weekend. In fact, Norris is the only driver to have scored points in every race.
"It's great to see how he approaches the races," said Seidl of the youngster. "Even if the first lap doesn't work out, he doesn't let himself be disturbed. He waits for his chances and then takes advantage. He has an impressive determination and makes almost no mistakes.
"It's also great to see how he has developed outside of the car, his personality. He's only 21 and extremely down to earth and a team player."