Ricciardo says grip loss from Barcelona recurred in “pretty sad” British GP

2022 British Grand Prix

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Daniel Ricciardo was puzzled by his McLaren’s lack of performance in the British Grand Prix, but said the lack of grip felt similar to what he experienced four races earlier in Spain.

The McLaren driver finished 13th, seven places behind his team mate, at the end of a race he described as “pretty sad”.

“Once the race got restarted I was just struggling with grip,” he told media including RaceFans. “It simply didn’t feel like I was operating at the same level of grip as the others.

“I was getting eaten up and couldn’t really do anything about it. Then that seemed to be our pace for the race.”

The team discovered a fault with his Drag Reduction System at one stage. “I remember braking into turn six [Brooklands] and the car was all over the place, I thought I had a puncture,” said Ricciardo. “So when I went to look at the rear tyre, I saw the DRS was open.

“So we had a failure there, we came back to the pits to fix it, but then obviously we couldn’t use it for fear that it would get stuck open again. So at the end then on the restart I couldn’t really attack the cars.”

Guanyu Zhou, Alfa Romeo, Silverstone, 2022
Gallery: 2022 British Grand Prix in pictures
However he believes there was likely to be something else not working as planned with his car. “Simply we weren’t fast so hopefully we find something. It’s a quick turnaround for Austria, but hopefully we can find something there.”

The loss of grip was “something I felt in Barcelona as well,” said Ricciardo, as if his car wasn’t “operating on the same level” as the others.

“Just basically corner speed, the way you’re able to roll the car just with the tyres not biting, not gripping.

“We ran over quite a bit of debris with the accident in the beginning. But obviously the team checked, we had a lot of time to check the car. So unless we find something that we missed, otherwise we’ll have to keep digging.”

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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15 comments on “Ricciardo says grip loss from Barcelona recurred in “pretty sad” British GP”

  1. The “loss of grip” is from the driver not the car.

    All drivers “lose it” at some point in their careers and the smart ones recognise when its retirement or at least sabbatical time.

    1. Using that logic, I’m expecting to see the announcement about Max Verstappen’s retirement from the sport at the next grand prix, seeing as he also had no grip at Silverstone.

  2. Witan PFT!

  3. I have an opinion
    5th July 2022, 14:06

    Both McLarens found themselves at the back of a train of cars. Qualifying and race start had the most effect on finishing position.

  4. This is becoming sadder than Vettel 2020.

  5. Everything about Ricciardo’s performances lately, and the explanations that come after, reek of a lack of confidence. There is no fundamental issue with the car, Norris is proving that, Daniel just does not seem to have it in him to “lean on the car” as he says himself.

    He needs to get on track Friday and really wrestle that car around, properly find out where the limit is – for the car and himself. If it’s truly him backing off before the car is, then maybe we will see a change in driver before the end of the season, because the data will show it…

  6. petebaldwin (@)
    5th July 2022, 15:58

    If I was McLaren, I’d be considering trying to convince him to have a year in Indycar. I think the change of scenery would do him good and he’d get his smile back. Whatever is going on with him at the moment, it’s clearly not going to fix itself and once his contract is up, the only offers will come from teams further back on the grid.

  7. Surely he can’t see out the season. An unwanted anchor for Mclaren’s ambitions at the moment, and a very expensive one.

  8. I want him out of there just to know why it didnt’ work out. He was solid and fast with Renault to prove he is quality, but at Mclaren he looks like a 50 year old going through the motions with his retirement already announced.

    1. Your time in Formula One is almost over. Yeah!

  9. In nearly every tech support center there is an acronym that is used to describe when it is the fault of the user, PEBKAC. Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair. This seems to me like the problem exists between the steering wheel and seat. I say that sadly as a long time Ricciardo fan.

  10. *His McLaren was puzzled by Ricciardo’s lack of performance

  11. HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, Mclaren…

  12. I like the guy, but he can’t show his talent 3 races a season.
    He needs to do more or leave the spot for someone else

  13. Sorry Daniel, we love you, but it’s not good enough. Your performance is costing McLaren massively in the Constructors’ Championship.

    Time to move on.

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