Daniel Ricciardo: Struggling to Shine in F1 Midfield

Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that it has been “difficult to shine” in a highly competitive midfield during the 2024 F1 season.

Red Bull has announced that Ricciardo will leave the team mid-season, with Liam Lawson taking over for the remaining six races.

Ricciardo returned to Red Bull last season, but his dream of rejoining the senior team has now faded.

He leaves the team 10 points behind his teammate Hiroki Tsunoda, who overtook him in 12 of 18 races.

Ricciardo has acknowledged that his results have fallen short of pre-season expectations.

Assessing his performance in 2024, Ricciardo said: “I absolutely don’t want to be in the middle. I’m looking back on the past year, and if you had asked me in January, ‘How do you think this year is going to go?’, I would have said, ‘Yeah, I hope it’s better than this one.'”

“But it’s not for lack of trying. I feel like I really gave it my all this year. Sometimes you don’t get the results you want. Sometimes the results aren’t worth the effort. But that’s sports.”

“You can always argue both sides. It’s like that with everything. There will be fans and people who will see the good in you. There will also be people who will say, ‘Well, we weren’t consistent enough,’ and all that.”

“I always look in the mirror and try to be as critical of myself as possible.”

Daniel Ricciardo leaves Red Bull immediately

Ricciardo’s Struggles in the F1 Midfield

Despite showing occasional glimpses of his former self, including a fourth-place finish in the Miami Sprint Race, Ricciardo has struggled to find consistency throughout the season.

He has failed to score consecutive points, and the team’s upgrades have introduced undesirable traits, making the car less competitive.

Ricciardo has acknowledged that it has been difficult for him to stand out in the midfield battle, with every track suiting one team or another.

“I would have liked to be a little more consistent this year, but to be honest, coming back to the sport after my time at McLaren, I was focused on speed.”

“I want to show that I can still race alongside them. There have been moments like that. Of course, it would be nice to be able to do that every weekend.”

“But I think it’s also difficult in midfield battles when you take a little pressure off. Every track kind of suits one or the other, and it’s hard to shine in such tough competition.”

“But whether I gave them a hard time or not, ultimately they (Red Bull) will make the decision. At least for me, I did everything I could, and I don’t think, ‘Oh, I could have done more’. I think I gave it my all. The rest is up to them.”

Category: F1 / Daniel Ricciardo / Red Bull