Daniel Ricciardo has 'just lost his confidence' in F1, feels Red Bull boss

Daniel Ricciardo's passion and love for F1 could be wavering, according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull was the wind beneath Ricciardo's wings when the latter took flight in F1, starting with Scuderia Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) before making a name for himself with the senior team between 2014 and 2018.

In those five seasons, Daniel Ricciardo claimed 29 podiums out of which seven were wins while also getting the better of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel in their first year together as teammates.

He chose to leave for Renault in 2019 in what many considered to be an erroneous move on the Australian's part. Since then, the 32-year-old's career trajectory has not seen too many positives. Now in his second season at McLaren, questions are being raised about Ricciardo's future as he continues to try and recapture his old form.

Horner feels the Honey Badger does not love the sport as much as he used to. Speaking at the Cambridge Union in the lead-up to the 2022 F1 British GP, he said:

“Daniel’s a great driver. He’s a very fast driver, and I’m surprised that he hasn’t really done more in the McLaren. Lando is doing a super job. He’s [part of] the next generation that’s coming through. I think it just shows [what happens] in sport when your head drops.”

The 48-year-old went on to add, saying:

“He [Ricciardo] was one of the most talented drivers we’ve had in our car, but confidence is such a key factor, and you can see he’s just lost his confidence. It looks like he’s almost lost his love for the sport a bit, and I think he just needs to re-find that. He needs to discover that again because he’s a better driver than he’s showing is at the moment.”

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Daniel Ricciardo running out of time at McLaren, feels former Australian world champion

Daniel Ricciardo is on borrowed time at McLaren and could soon be out the door, according to former F1 world champion Alan Jones.

Jones won the 1980 world title with Williams ahead of Nelson Piquet to become the second Australian after Sir Jack Brabham to achieve the feat. He has also recorded 12 wins and 24 podiums throughout his F1 career.

His compatriot Daniel Ricciardo has failed to live up to expectations since leaving Red Bull for Renault before subsequently joining McLaren last season.

Since his departure from Milton-Keynes at the end of 2018, the Australian has only managed three podium finishes, of which one was a win at the 2021 Italian GP under fortuitous circumstances.

In an interview with the Herald Sun in Australia, Jones weighed in on Ricciardo's future with the Woking-based team. The 75-year-old said:

“[His future at McLaren] is questionable at the moment. Unless he makes a few improvements – quick smart – I really can’t see him being there for too much longer, to be honest. He is a great little race driver and he is a hell of a nice guy. But, of course, we all know nice guys don’t get anywhere, particularly in Formula 1. The bigger d**k you are, the better off you are – there are a few out there at the moment that have proved that. A contract in F1 doesn’t mean much. But, if the situation remains the same as it is, I have no doubt in my mind they will exercise one of those options that are in the contract.”

As we approach the 2022 F1 British GP weekend, Daniel Ricciardo is currently in P13 in the World Drivers' Championship standings, tied on 15 points with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.