Season best result for Ricciardo in Singapore
Monday, 3 October 2022
A much-welcomed performance from the Aussie.
As speculation about Daniel Ricciardo’s future in F1® continues to swirl, his performance in the Singapore Grand Prix was a reminder that he’s still one of the premier drivers in the sport.
After missing out on Q2 and starting from sixteenth on the grid, it looked like it was going to be another tough weekend for the Australian.
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With his more fancied opponents in Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and George Russell struggling in the conditions, it was a mature and patient performance from Ricciardo that saw him move through the field to eventually finish fifth – his best result of the year and first top-five finish since Saudi Arabia in 2021.
His McLaren teammate Lando Norris crossed the line in fourth to mark McLaren’s best team result since the Italian Grand Prix at Emilia Romagna and with both Alpines unable to finish the race, the result sees McLaren now move ahead of the French-owned team to sit fourth in the Constructors Championship.
With five races left in season 2022, the F1® world awaits an announcement on what 2023 may hold for one of the sport’s most popular drivers, but for the moment, Ricciardo says he’s just happy to be back towards the front.
"We needed this, and as much as I’m looking forward to Japan I want to enjoy this one," said Ricciardo.
“We know the year it’s been, and I feel like I was certainly due some good fortune."
The championship now moves to Suzuka, a circuit that hasn’t seen F1 racing since 2019, with Verstappen hoping to become the 14th World Champion crowned at the Japanese Grand Prix.
1️⃣6️⃣ ➡️ 5️⃣
— F1 Australian Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) October 2, 2022
A stunning drive saw @danielricciardo make up 11 places to finish fifth in a wet and wild #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/u2MdEQsHzW
