On the occasion of the Monaco Grand Prix, speculations began to circulate about Daniel Ricciardo’s future in McLaren. The rumors were supported by the statements of Zak Brown who candidly admitted that the team had different expectations and then underlined the existence of contractual clauses that could be triggered if Ricciardo’s performance continues to be insufficient.
Daniel’s contract with McLaren will expire at the end of 2023, and at the press conference on Friday the Australian admitted that he had spoken to Brown and received reassurance that the agreement will be respected. Despite these guarantees, Ricciardo prefers not to sit on his laurels.
“Signing up early in the season gives you a kind of comfort, but that doesn’t have to lead to complacency. I want my results to be better and I know they can be. And I want to enjoy the successes with the team ”.
“I’m not going to settle for thirteenth place, or be happy with this result. I will never do it “.
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL36
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Despite Brown’s words, Ricciardo admitted that both he and the team want to get out of this tunnel to create momentum ahead of the 2023 season.
“I had a chat with Zak and I think there is no need to elaborate on anything. I think that sometimes we get involved in the media and we don’t always manage to make complete sense of situations, but for us it’s all clear ”.
“My contract with the team will expire at the end of next year and my commitment will be total. Now it’s a matter of proving it and showing the things I am capable of and I believe I have the full support of the team ”.
Daniel then returned to the statements made by Zak Brown during the Munich weekend stating that he was not surprised by that exit.
“Maybe I’ve become a little bit immune to the media having been in the sport for so long. I am aware that some statements are taken out of context and for this reason I am not one who delves into reading to understand the whole. In the end I think I know our relationship and what I have with the team ”.
“I just don’t get involved in these things and I don’t think I’ve been surprised by anything these days.”
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