“Has to Keep Laughing Because Otherwise…”: Daniel Ricciardo Confession Results in Heartache for Fans as Will Buxton’s Prediction Sends Tremors Through F1 World

Daniel Ricciardo has never been one to remain in his comfort zone, as shown from his jump from Red Bull to Renault and then to McLaren in search of new challenges. He has always taken the plunge in search of greener pastures, but things have not been smooth sailing for the past year.

The Australian’s career is arguably on a downward trajectory since he arrived at McLaren. As a result, questions about his future have taken center stage. And it was further increased when popular journalist Will Buxton revealed that the 8 time Grand Prix winner is struggling for confidence.

Speaking after the qualifying, Buxton was spotted saying, “I was speaking to him after qualifying and he said he has to keep laughing because otherwise he might start crying, he is just so unhappy in this car.”

However, after his points finish in Austria, McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed Ricciardo will stay for the foreseeable future. He also revealed that his seat depends on the performances this season.

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With that said, the 33-year-old has been a sitting duck for most of the races this season. Although he has shown glimpses of his ability, he has only scored points in 3 races. Furthermore, his teammate Lando Norris has consistently outperformed him. So, his confidence has ultimately taken a huge dent. But he will hope to turn it around with 11 races remaining on the calendar.

F1 fans react to the information on Daniel Ricciardo shared by Will Buxton

Will Buxton also faced criticism from the fans after he said, “I can’t believe we will be rolling into 2023 without Daniel Ricciardo.” It sent the ever-faithful DR fans into a ‘cardiac arrest’, as they believed it was the end of the road for the Aussie.

However, Buxton later clarified on Twitter that the fans misunderstood him. But they were not having any of it and expressed their views on the incident.

Ricciardo has suffered his worst start to an F1 season. He has also stated his lack of confidence in the car, which entirely sums up his season.

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But he will remain on the grid at least until his contract ends, despite names like Oscar Piastri and Colton Herta popping up in the mix.

 

Meanwhile, Alpine is right on the tail of the Woking-based team. Hence, Zak Brown and Co will want Riccardo to step up sooner than later in order to secure the 4th spot for the second season running. At the same time, do you think Ricciardo can bounce back?