The cat’s out of the bag and now we’re all up to date with the Daniel Ricciardo-McLaren saga. However, we’re not sure where the Australian will end up in 2023. There are a lot of rumors floating but none concrete. Although there are firm believers who feel Ricciardo might not secure a seat for 2023.

If the Honey Badger loses out on a seat and an entire Formula 1 season altogether will be a sad prospect. The heartbreaking early ousting from McLaren should not spell Ricciardo’s end in the sport. However, the Australian can change the script and gain some allies if he can prove his mettle before the end of the current season.

This isn’t a one-man job, though. To showcase his driving ability, Ricciardo also needs a worthy car. So far, that is not the case with the McLaren man. To put it subtly, Ricciardo is struggling with his MCL36 in the current season so far; a defining factor of the driver’s career in orange.

However, to prove the struggles with his car, a radio conversation between Ricciardo and his track-side engineer serves as a perfect example. When asked, “Daniel, how’s the car feeling?” Ricciardo coldly replied, “Feels like a bag of d**ks.” 

The hilarious response overshadows the frustration in the voice of Ricciardo as he made his way around Zandvoort.

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Time is the enemy for Ricciardo as he looks to secure a seat for next season. In the end, the issues with the car will be forgotten and Ricciardo will assume most of the blame. However, let’s hope that’s not the case with the Australian as he tries to secure a drive for the next season.

Daniel Ricciardo reflects on the early qualifying exit following the poor FP3

Ricciardo’s summation of the car during the FP3 was not subtle, and it was reflected in the Dutch GP qualifying as well. The Australian finished the session 17h fastest.

Reflecting on the result, he said, “I think the lap, it was okay; it wasn’t electrifying, but it was definitely good enough to keep going in quali, and I think then it was a couple of tenths to find.”

He continued: “Actually, I don’t think it was tracking to be too bad, especially where we were this morning. We were pretty lost in FP3, scratching our heads.”

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It seems unlikely Ricciardo’s car would’ve improved for the race since the qualifying. This also means another disappointing outing for him, a scenario he cannot afford too often until the end of the current season.