Written by Lauren Beaumont, edited by Joe Murphy
The 2021 season is undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the most compelling seasons of modern Formula 1. As a fan, it’s incredibly refreshing to see the undeniably talented Max Verstappen storm the grid to challenge Lewis Hamilton for the Championship title; a title which has been ultimately dominated by Hamilton for the past 7 years, with the exception of the 2016 season which saw Hamilton narrowly miss out on the Championship win to Mercedes teammate, Nico Rosberg.
Despite all this, it’s been a tough watch as a Daniel Ricciardo fan (and let’s face it, everyone is a fan of the Honey Badger). There’s something about the Australian that renders him naturally likable; be that his positive perspective, cheeky quips or unrelenting ambition. Scouted primarily for his sheer speed, this 2021 season marks a whole decade since Ricciardo’s F1 debut. Following his initial seat with Red Bull’s junior team, Torro Rosso, Ricciardo graduated to Red Bull for the 2014-2018 seasons. Despite Mercedes reining superior throughout, Ricciardo achieved a respectable 7 race wins during his time with Red Bull, seeing him finish 3rd in the race for the Championship title on two separate occasions. Only falling short of both Mercedes drivers on these occasions.
2021 has seen Ricciardo team up with McLaren as part of a 3-year deal with the team. Ricciardo joins the lesser-experienced Briton of Lando Norris who is also set to stay with the team by way of a recently signed five year contract.
I am sure that most fans would agree that Ricciardo’s performance so far this season has been, for the most part, wholly disappointing. The well-seasoned driver has routinely lagged behind his much younger teammate who, by way of contrast, has attained 3 podium finishes already this season. Norris has repeatedly outqualified and outraced ‘Danny Ricc’ in a car that, theoretically, should be capable of the same.
Ricciardo’s season so far has been plagued with bad luck and unexpected setbacks. The first race on the calendar saw the AlphaTauri of Pierre Gasly make contact with the rear of Ricciardo’s McLaren, leaving the Aussie with a significant lack of pace for the rest of the race. More recently, the gripping drama that unfolded in Hungary resulted in damage to Ricciardo’s McLaren following contact with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc who in turn was nudged by the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. As the season takes a break for the summer, Ricciardo fans are set to question whether the Honey Badger will ever catch a break. His record certainly shows he has the required tools and he is certainly in a car capable of challenging the top teams, he just needs to regain that confidence and form he has demonstrated countless times before, for his multiple teams.
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