Ricciardo’s “pretty painful” US Grand Prix
Monday, 24 October 2022
The Australian hoped his final races with McLaren would be stronger.
Daniel Ricciardo couldn’t hide his disappointment with a “pretty painful” race at the Circuit of The Americas.
With only four races remaining for the Australian driver at McLaren, Ricciardo was confident that the car had a stronger pace than where he qualified.
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After starting 15th, Ricciardo hovered at the back of the field during Sunday’s race, saying he knew from early on that he didn’t have the pace.
“I hoped today was going to be better. I really thought after yesterday we had a bit more to show but it was really tough today,” Ricciardo said.
“I could tell from early on in the race that it was going to be tricky. We, unfortunately, just didn’t have the grip. I couldn’t really push the car like I could see the others around me doing, so it was just a struggle.”
“We’ll keep our chin up and try to find a way. Obviously, days like this are pretty painful to try to deal with and understand as we put a lot of effort in but didn’t get rewarded. We’ll keep going.”
McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished sixth and sits five places ahead of Ricciardo in the driver standings.
Teams and drivers head to Mexico City next weekend for the Grand Prix.
