Daniel Ricciardo’s race engineer at McLaren, Tom Stallard, stated that the Covid-19 pandemic put the Australian driver at a disadvantage before he began his time at Woking. Ricciardo, who was once seen as a potential future world champion at Red Bull, had disappointing stints at Renault and McLaren. He spent two difficult seasons at McLaren before leaving the team earlier than expected. Stallard, who worked closely with Ricciardo at McLaren, revealed how the pandemic affected their working relationship.
Stallard explained that Ricciardo joined McLaren in late 2020, during the second Covid-19 lockdown. This presented challenges as the 34-year-old driver was in Los Angeles at the time. The team had to conduct video calls to communicate with Ricciardo and provide him with technical information. However, the lack of in-person interaction hindered the development of a strong connection between the Australian driver and his new team.
According to Stallard, it is crucial for a team to have a deep understanding of their driver, including non-verbal cues. He also emphasized that Formula 1 drivers do not have the opportunity for extensive training during the winter, which made Ricciardo’s situation even more difficult. As a result, Ricciardo struggled throughout his two seasons at McLaren.
Despite their efforts to bounce back, McLaren and Ricciardo faced challenges due to the limited interaction caused by the pandemic. This lack of communication may have contributed to the Australian driver’s disappointing performance for the team based in Woking.
Ricciardo was eventually replaced by another driver for the 2023 season, marking the end of his time at McLaren. Stallard admitted that he took some time to process Ricciardo’s departure, as he was deeply involved in working with him. The race engineer expressed frustration at not being able to solve the puzzle of Ricciardo’s struggles before he was replaced. However, Stallard and Ricciardo remain friends and continue to meet at each race.
During his time at McLaren, Ricciardo experienced the lowest point of his career. He was unable to match the performance of his teammate. However, the Australian driver took a break at the beginning of 2023 and made a comeback with AlphaTauri halfway through the last season. Ricciardo has shown improvement since his time at McLaren, but he still has a long way to go to regain his former success.