[Driver] Daniel Ricciardo

[GTRMagic]

McLaren Details DR's issues

Originally Posted by The Article

McLaren’s Andrea Stella has offered the most detailed explanation yet on why Daniel Ricciardo has struggled since joining the team for the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Ricciardo has typically trailed team-mate Lando Norris by two- to four-tenths a lap, circuit depending, throughout the opening half of the season.

Up to now, that delta has been attributed to the Australian learning to adapt to the MCL35M, a car considered fast but tricky.

However, Stella has now offered the best insight so far on exactly why the team’s star signing has struggled.

“He came to McLaren, in terms of driving characteristics, I would say from the opposite end,” the Italian said.

“He is a driver who likes to roll the speed in the corner, not necessarily attack the braking as much as our car requires.

“And I think we understood very quickly what the issue was in terms of exploiting all the speed.”

Formula 1 cars typically have one of two characteristics: strong straight-line performance and acceleration, or braking and rotation, with only the very best cars strong across both.

The McLaren falls into the latter, with Stella suggesting it’s a matter of practice and adaptation for Ricciardo – as has been the rhetoric from the team all season.

“The progress that we do see race after race is not necessarily, in Formula 1, like a switch from race to race,” he said of the 32-year-old’s efforts.

“Sometimes I make the example of a musician.

“You know, a musician, you can tell him how to play a guitar, you can use a lot of theory, but at some stage you will have to spend quite a lot of time with a guitar and make quite a lot of exercise.

“And you don’t necessarily take a step in concerts. Most of the progress you make you make it when you work in background at home, and you spent hours and hours exercising.

“In current Formula 1, it is not easy to exercise,” he added.

“Winter testing was to a minimum in 2021.

“Free practice sessions on Friday, you have one hour less to practice, and still it’s a practice in preparation for a race – it’s not a practice in which you can do some systematic work of adapting to a car, understanding of the subtleties that are required to operate at the incredibly high level at which Formula 1 drivers operate nowadays.

“I have to say, I’ve gone in this business for some time, the level of drivers now is very high.

“The number of drivers that can drive at a very high level is considerable compared to what I’ve seen previously.”

While the outright pace has been somewhat lacking from Ricciardo, Stella noted there have been other positives he’s brought to the table.

“We do see progress, step-by-step, and we also see the rest of Daniel, which is very complete,” he explained.

“The key bit we need to have at the moment is that little bit of speed, but like the starts, understanding of the racing, the way he’s been so precise in keeping some quicker cars behind him, like if we think about the [British Grand Prix] with Carlos [Sainz], the understanding of the car – pretty much straightaway, he got the understanding of the features of the car, in water testing. So this race craft is very strong.

“Then there is the attitude,” he continued.

“The attitude is very positive, it’s exactly what we see, and what you know about Daniel, which means even when we are not achieving the speed that we would like, the spirit is strong, the motivation is very high, and somehow we keep enjoying the journey.

“Not necessarily, again in my experience, a driver who cannot find the final tenth of a second keeps being an enjoyable driver to work with for the whole team.

“This is the case with Daniel, so I’m very optimistic for the future.”

Ricciardo found himself an innocent victim of the opening corner crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix, dragging his wounded car him to 12th place in a race that saw 14 finishers.

So... interesting assessment from someone who is close enough to the detail to know....

Yet what is the cure? Running around in a 2 year old McLaren for a week in Barcelona? It hasnt been done... why?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

McLaren Details DR's issues



So... interesting assessment from someone who is close enough to the detail to know....

Yet what is the cure? Running around in a 2 year old McLaren for a week in Barcelona? It hasnt been done... why?

Yes a very interesting assessment and I also like the musician analogy. I would have thought that another possible way to help would be for Daniel to spend as long as possible in the simulator. I don't personally know how life-like these are supposed to be but freom what I've heard they are supposed to be good.

[Richard C]

Simulator time seems like the easy answer. The question is how quickly can he retrain his brain to switch his driving style?

Richard

[chillibowl]

an old car or running a simulator based on this years car might be a waste of time and resources?

for sure the racing has been fun this season and Mclaren and Ferrari seem the only two locked into the 3-4 constructors battle and while i dont know the distribution of prize money, i would guess the extra expense to go for 3rd by bringing DR up faster is not worth it?

let him find his ground during the sessions (even though this is less effective and will take more time) and continue to use extra funds for next year and a new car that may not operate like the old and current car at all.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

an old car or running a simulator based on this years car might be a waste of time and resources?

Originally Posted by chillibowl

let him find his ground during the sessions (even though this is less effective and will take more time) and continue to use extra funds for next year and a new car that may not operate like the old and current car at all.

I tend to think you have those backwards? I don't know if they run their simulator 24x7, but broadly speaking simulator time is cheap. Expecting him to figure it out on race weekends is expensive. Running an old car would be more expensive and think is not the way to go.

I expect he knows what he needs to do (from a style change perspective). The problem is to convert that to muscle memory. Which I would think is about repetition. Given his struggles so far, who is to say he will figure it out during the remainder of the season if he just does it during events? He needs as much seat time as he can get. And that would be a mixture of simulator plus the time in the car during events.

Richard

[chillibowl]

yes...meant to say running old car is a waste of resources and simulator waste of time. my bad.

but overall perhaps i still have it backwards? what i was trying to get at (very poorly upon a re read;() was as the season goes on with fewer and fewer races left, whats the point of him adapting more to this years car?

i appreciate its never one or the other and all things being equal, more time (either on track or in simulator) probably is just a net positive...and of course next years car (and future McLaren he may drive) is an unknown so learning a new approach now may help.

or it could be something he has to unlearn next year?

either way, i do like Mclaren's approach. seems to be one built around patience.

i guess what intriguing about drivers learning new skills/new approach is that next years car's characteristics is always an unknow and drivers have such a short window to adapt before moving on to next season car and/or team.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

whats the point of him adapting more to this years car?

I am only quoting this bit as it get to the heart of the issue IMHO.

I am not sure it's as simple as he says, but lets take Andrea Stella's comment on faith as being correct

Formula 1 cars typically have one of two characteristics: strong straight-line performance and acceleration, or braking and rotation, with only the very best cars strong across both.

The McLaren falls into the latter, with Stella suggesting it’s a matter of practice and adaptation for Ricciardo – as has been the rhetoric from the team all season.

I think he is saying that as an F1 driver, when dealing with one of the better cars, it may be perfect (rare) or it works well in one of two ways (as he outlines). He does not put the 2021 McLaren into the perfect category, but rather into one of the other two. And that the defining characteristic of getting the best out of that car does not fit with the driving style that allows Ricciardo's to perform at his best (or at the level of his teammate). If I was Ricciardo (and frankly McLaren would want this as well)... why not be a driver that has multiple tools in his toolbox? The ability to adapt equally to either of those possibilities?

We talk frequently about drivers who are able to drive around the deficits of the cars. Those deficits can either be inherent in the design/setup or maybe something that develops during the race.

While McLaren may be trying to build a car to suit both drivers next year, or may be targeting a specific defining "characteristic" of the 2022 car, they may really not know what it may be like when driven on the edge until they do testing next year. The car may or may not suit Ricciardo's "current" preferred style. He may be just as lost next year as this! So why not help him be prepared for the potential for the 2022 car to also not suit his preferred driving style.

Lastly, regarding 2021. Every point counts. Why give up on helping him to do better in the 2021 season? Especially if (in my opinion) simulator time is a cheap way to build those new skills? Plus to my point above. If the 2022 car is similar to the 2021 car, him being able to adjust now, means less issues in 2022. Or at least, less risk of a problem in 2022.

Of course, this is speculation on my part. I can only assume that more time in the simulator will help vs. hurt him with respect to adjusting to the 2021 car.

Richard

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

If I was Ricciardo (and frankly McLaren would want this as well)... why not be a driver that has multiple tools in his toolbox? The ability to adapt equally to either of those possibilities?

using Stella's analogy, of course everyone would prefer the perfect car as they would want a driver that maximizes both skill sets.

but does practicing on improving one skill set come with a corresponding decline in the other skill set? or maybe its better to have a driver who excels at one skill set and find a car that suits that style?

obviously its not as binary as that but you get my meaning.

this strikes at the heart of driver development and specifically, exactly the type of question Mclaren are seeking to answer with a long term signing like DR.

that article was great in that we dont typically get this sort of insight from a team.

for sure though i dont think they should give up on 2021 yet but surely the window for this year is closing. im not sure what if any simulator work they can do on campus during the summer break and then 12 races in 3.5 months with a lot of travel in between already.

time is not on their side.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

but does practicing on improving one skill set come with a corresponding decline in the other skill set? or maybe its better to have a driver who excels at one skill set and find a car that suits that style?

obviously its not as binary as that but you get my meaning.

It's a general question and I will give a general answer. I think that any skill can get rusty if you don't use it. But if you had the skill previously, it should be easier to knock off the rust and make it work again. Overall, I don't think if he learned to drive the current McLaren that it would degrade his other abilities.

I think the real unsaid question is. He is competing at the top level. What if he is really never able to build that required skill level up to the level that is needed to be at the top in F1? What if he is only ever merely "competent" or "good" but never "exceptional" in that type of car. Then when you are battling other drivers who are exceptional in their own car.... I would say that when Ricciardo is in sync with his car, he can be (and has been) exceptional. Right now, he is objectively not exceptional.

Originally Posted by chillibowl

for sure though i dont think they should give up on 2021 yet but surely the window for this year is closing. im not sure what if any simulator work they can do on campus during the summer break and then 12 races in 3.5 months with a lot of travel in between already.

time is not on their side.

I think the questions around summer break and if his schedule would allow any significant simulator time is a good point.

Richard

[FAS33]

Have faith lads. My boys gonna win the title next year. ��

[E.B]

Originally Posted by FAS33

Have faith lads. My boys gonna win the title next year. ??

I admire your optimism.....

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by FAS33

Have faith lads. My boys gonna win the title next year. ??

In a way, it would be very nice to see, but he'll need to get the better of Lando first and I just don't see that happening any time soon.

[2 litre Touring Car Star]

Had the better of Norris at Imola and France til the "influence" from the pits.

Moral head to head wins there even if it doesn't show on the standings.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by 2 litre Touring Car Star

Had the better of Norris at Imola and France til the "influence" from the pits.

Moral head to head wins there even if it doesn't show on the standings.

You're right, but that does make it 9-2 to Lando. I didn't think it'd be that much of a landslide.

[Aysedasi]

Don't worry, 2 litre doesn't rate Lando, it's all luck and 'influence'.....

[2 litre Touring Car Star]

That's no the big deal. The bit that's telling is that Norris needed it to get past despite him having the upper hand.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by 2 litre Touring Car Star

That's no the big deal. The bit that's telling is that Norris needed it to get past despite him having the upper hand.

Needed what? 9 times? I don't follow.

[Adam43]

It’s a bit like how Barrichello was better than Schumacher in their years as team mates at Ferrari.

I don’t see any reason to disagree with Ricciardo’s own assessment that it’s not been good. He gets it which is good start for turning it around. Hopefully he does, but there is no sugar coating the the season so far.

[S griffin]

That's what I like about Ricciardo, he doesn't try and hide behind excuses, he just says it how it is and if that means admitting he's not been at his best, so be it

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by 2 litre Touring Car Star

That's no the big deal. The bit that's telling is that Norris needed it to get past despite him having the upper hand.

I just wonder how many times you're gonna beat the same drum....?

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I just wonder how many times you're gonna beat the same drum....?

Until he finds some cymbals no doubt

[peebee2]

Blimey, there’s rose tinted and then there’s this. DR continues to get smashed but some people think otherwise!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by 2 litre Touring Car Star

That's no the big deal. The bit that's telling is that Norris needed it to get past despite him having the upper hand.

As we saw from Fernando on Lewis (also even Schu Jnr on Max) a driver can make it easy for another or not so easy, particularly on certain circuits. Usually team mates are told to make it easy on their team mate, usually for strategic reasons, ie driver A/B has new tyres / is on a different strategy and in a position to benefit the team over the individuals. (Lets not forget its a team sport when it comes to getting the income)

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by E.B

I admire your optimism.....

I’ve been saying the same thing for the last 10 years. ??

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by FAS33

I’ve been saying the same thing for the last 10 years. ??

Yes, but this is 2021, not 2011......