Daniel Ricciardo has endured a torrid start to the season. The Australian has only scored 11 points in 7 races, and as a result, many question his future with McLaren and Formula 1. In this time of insecurity and poor results, Ricciardo will look for a source of inspiration from his supporters.

And that inspiration is exactly what the Optus Stadium in Australia has offered. Amid McLaren’s driver’s struggles to find his form, the stadium has turned papaya in the hope of a resurgent performance from Ricciardo. The multi-purpose stadium located in Western Australia is the state where the F1 driver hails from.

So, the Aussie will take this as an encouragement, without a doubt. Along with this gesture, they have also posted a message backing him. It read, “We’re lighting up in papaya tonight, wishing WA’s own @danielriccairdo the best of luck ahead of this weekend’s @F1 Azerbaijan GP in Baku. The Stadium, @Optus and all of Australia have your back. Go show ‘em honey badger!”

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While the entire country is behind the 8-time Grand Prix winner, Australia’s popular broadcaster 7 sport tweeted, “@OptusStadium has turned itself papaya orange tonight in support of the struggling @danielricciardo.”

This message is, of course, tweeted with an intention to back the 32-year-old. However, fans on social media have lashed out because of the usage of the word ‘struggling’.

Twitter reacts to Optus Stadium’s gesture for Daniel Ricciardo

Fans are not pleased that the premier broadcaster in Australia has tagged Ricciardo along with the usage of the word ‘struggling’.

While the fans did not approve 7 sport’s tweet, they certainly appreciated the gesture by the Optus Stadium. In a venue like Azerbaijan where the results have been unpredictable, Ricciardo will look for the fortunes to swing his way. This, however, will propel his confidence and could prove to be a turning point.

Friday’s two free practice sessions did not pan out the way the Aussie wanted. He finished P18 in FP1 and followed it with a P14 result in FP2. The MCL36 is also struggling to match the front-runners and it could continue in Baku by the looks of it.

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The next month could prove to be pivotal in deciding Ricciardo’s future. He will rely on his support and will hope that his downward trend of form could change starting from Azerbaijan. Can the ‘Honey Badger’ bounce back and prove his critics wrong? Or will his struggles continue? Let us know in the comments.