“IndyCar would be a fun challenge”: Jack Benyon believes Daniel Ricciardo should go for a different challenge after his move away from McLaren
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When Daniel Ricciardo announced in 2020 that he will not renew his contract with Alpine (formerly Renault) and join Mclaren, it looked like he had made the right choice. 2 years down the line and we’re here at this point where it’s unsure whether the Aussie driver will even drive in the sport next year. After his Redbull stint, this seemed like the Honey Badger’s chance to be a part of a top team again but unfortunately things didn’t turn out that way.
Daniel Ricciardo and Mclaren seemed like the dream pairing for CEO Zak Brown with Lando Norris also in the squad. Fans and critics assumed that the Aussie driver would completely destroy his teammate although that wasn’t the case. For 2 years Daniel did not perform as expected and was always lagging behind. In 2021, Ricciardo was nowhere near Lando Norris when it came to qualifying pace. Along with that, a few poor results follow suit which didn’t help his case either. Daniel apparently left Redbull because they seemed to be giving more preference to young talent and the same seemed to be happening at Mclaren with Lando Norris.
The only highlight for Daniel Ricciardo of his time in the team till now has to be the win in Monza in 2021 where the team also achieved a 1-2 finish. This will the give departing Aussie a sweet memory of being the only Mclaren driver to win a race for them in almost a decade. With the negotiations issue with Alex Palou, Mclaren possibly has an Indycar seat open which the Aussie could take advantage of if he still has a good relationship with the British outfit.
“Ricciardo still has the teeth to get stuck into a real challenge that isn’t the F1 midfield, IndyCar’s for him,” Jack Benyon on Daniel Ricciardo possibly moving to Indycar
“I’m not sure this split lends itself to future co-operation, but McLaren potentially has an IndyCar seat open – pending the Alex Palou debacle being resolved – and Ricciardo has a home in America,” he said.
“Whether he wants to open himself up to the environment that Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean have recently is where Ricciardo will have a tough call to make. Both those drivers mentioned have had to answer questions about how quickly you get up to speed and how competitive you are. As an ex-F1 driver there’s always a target on your back,” he continued.
The partnership with Mclaren just wasn’t meant to be for the 8 time grand prix winner. Although would Daniel Ricciardo be ready to compete in Indycar with much more competition is the question at hand. With his value dropping so much after his Mclaren stint, a bad Indycar season could well as be the end of Ricciardo’s career.
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Varad Joshi
(940 Articles Published)