How one-of-a-kind Daniel Ricciardo left a permanent mark on F1 – both on and off the track

The tip of the yr was OK, a seventh place in Mexico an actual excessive in an in any other case mediocre run of outcomes. That didn’t get him down, although. As a result of now he’d have a full pre-season to prepared himself.

And so, once we caught up in IMG Studios in London in February, for the annual pre-season shoot, he was buzzing – though he needed to speak to me at 6pm native time having began his day 11 hours earlier. “I’ve nonetheless obtained extra to show,” was the headline. Try this and the carrot of a Pink Bull drive remained.

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However whereas the pace was clearly there – as was showcased with a superb fourth within the Miami Dash and factors finishes in Canada, Austria and Belgium – it was the consistency that Ricciardo was lacking. That was as soon as Ricciardo’s energy, however for no matter purpose, he merely couldn’t knit collectively a run of sturdy outcomes that he – and his outdated boss Christian Horner – had been satisfied he was able to.

What made life worse was that his staff mate, Yuki Tsunoda, was starring within the different automobile. Given Pink Bull have but to be satisfied they need to promote the Japanese driver, even regardless of his type this yr, that Ricciardo couldn’t rating factors – no matter the truth that technique didn’t all the time assist him this yr or the actual fact his enchancment in type coincided with a downturn within the high quality of the automobile that pulled it out of points-scoring rivalry – damage his stature amongst Pink Bull’s high brass.

This wasn’t for need of attempting. Ricciardo was giving every thing – driving his coronary heart out as he all the time did. For no matter purpose, although, it wasn’t working any extra.