Ricciardo “Working Hard” on McLaren Sim to Resolve Issues

It has been a rather dull start to Daniel Ricciardo’s campaign with McLaren, having secured just 24 points as opposed to his teammate’s 56. The Monaco Grand Prix, in particular, turned out to be a demoralizing weekend for the Australian.

Ricciardo found himself being lapped by Lando Norris during the race, as the former limped past the checkered flag in P12. However, the newly recruited McLaren driver is keen on leaving the Monaco GP behind. What’s more, he also revealed that he had been working hard in the simulator in a bid to improvise his pace.

Monaco wasn’t my weekend: Daniel Ricciardo

The Honey Badger acknowledged the horrendous outing in Monaco, as he opened up that he is looking to bounce back at Baku.

“Monaco wasn’t my weekend. But I’m looking to bounce back. It’s been important to take time to reset and refocus before heading to Baku,” he told McLaren.

“The team and I have been working hard in the sim to understand, analyse and pinpoint the key areas we need to improve.”

It has been a struggle-induced start for Ricciardo, who has so far failed to match Norris’s blistering pace. However, on the contrary, the Briton has looked in blazing form. Norris has been consistently securing top five finishes, missing out just once out of the five races. What’s more, he has grasped onto two podium trophies already this season.

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The car has good potential: McLaren driver

Although Ricciardo hasn’t found his touch with the Mercedes-powered McLaren, he reckoned the car possesses enough potential.

“We know the car has good potential. We just need to put all pieces together to unlock it. There’s still that element of adapting to a new car which I’m sure will come with the more time and mileage behind the wheel,” he said.

“I’m going to keep working at it, build on the progress we made in Portugal and Spain, and try to feel as one with the car.”

Overall, Baku could be the best chance for Ricciardo to end his poor run of form. The nature of the circuit will potentially play a major assisting role in McLaren’s success over the weekend.

But, will Ricciardo join Norris to deliver that much anticipated strong weekend for the team? Only time will tell.

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