“Daniel helped Lando step up”: Zak Brown acknowledges Honey badger’s importance over his years at McLaren

“Daniel helped Lando step up”: Zak Brown acknowledges Honey badger’s importance over his years at McLaren

Zak Brown

After months of rumours, and a saga involving his compatriot, Oscar Piastri, it was announced yesterday that Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of this year, with the two parties mutually coming to an agreement to end Ricciardo’s contract, which was originally scheduled to end in 2023.

The reason? Obviously, Daniel Ricciardo‘s performances have not been at a level that either party would have expected, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown acknowledged as much in the team’s blog post announcing Ricciardo’s departure, where he said: “It’s no secret we hoped that we could achieve more together.”

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But despite this, Brown maintains that Ricciardo had been a positive influence. Obviously, the ‘Honey Badger’ with his charming personality and hilarious gags does not how to keep the mood light, but according to Brown, he also helped Lando Norris perform better, among other things.

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Zak Brown: ‘Daniel [Ricciardo] brought a lot of energy to McLaren’

Lando Norris, Zak Brown and Daniel Ricciardo
Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and Zak Brown celebrating Ricciardo’s win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix

Speaking to Motorsport, “I think there’s a lot we’re going to miss about Daniel. I think he’s brought a lot to the table. Let’s start with Lando. Ultimately you want a data point against your teammate. We know how capable Daniel is, so to have Lando running as competitively as he is, I think Daniel has helped Lando step up.”

Daniel Ricciardo has a huge fanbase, which he, of course, brought to McLaren: “I think commercially and with fans Daniel has brought a lot of energy to McLaren and our racing team. When you have a seven-time Grand Prix winner joining your team, it certainly brings a lot of enthusiasm to the racetrack and the factory floor.”

Brown also praised Ricciardo’s work ethic: “His work ethic is fantastic. And his positive outlook – when you have a bad day he’s very quick to bring positive energy into the environment.” and further highlighted the win in Monza, something Brown will forever remember: He has a tattoo on his arm commemorating that very win.

When asked if parting ways with Daniel Ricciardo ahead of the time was the saddest decision of his career, Brown responded in the affirmative “Yeah, certainly, during my time at McLaren.” and praised Ricciardo as a ‘wonderful person’ and that despite how the affair ended, he said he will look back with some very fond memories of their time together.

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Also Read: “It’s no secret that we could achieve more,” Zak Brown bids farewell to Daniel Ricciardo’s two years of disappointment at McLaren