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Daniel Ricciardo is going to be racing at his home Grand Prix for the first time in three years, and the Australian says he is “beyond excited” at the prospect.
Despite a difficult start to the season, McLaren showed decent pace in Jeddah two weeks ago. Ricciardo will hope to carry that momentum and hopefully “put on a show” at the Australian GP this weekend. Speaking to GPFans ahead of the weekend, he said:
“I am beyond excited to get back out on track in Melbourne. Nothing beats a home crowd, and the Australian fans are some of the best in the world. I’ve been back in Perth since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and I feel rested, prepared, and excited to get stuck into one of my favourite weekends of the year. It will also be great to try out the new layout for myself, particularly the sweeping right-hander as it seems fast. Let’s get back out there, fight as hard as we can and hopefully put on a bit of a show!”
In the first race of the season in Bahrain, McLaren suffered from overheating issues and finished dead last. In round two in Saudi Arabia, however, they managed to claw back some performance, and both Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris looked well placed to score double-point finishes.
A power unit issue late in the race, however, meant Ricciardo failed to finish the race and is yet to score points in 2022.
Daniel Ricciardo “desperate” for success at home Grand Prix
Throughout his decade-long F1 career, Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t had the best record in his home race in Melbourne. Often, due to sheer luck, the Australian has missed out on a decent result. Ahead of F1’s return to the venue this weekend, Ricciardo opened up about his desire to score a podium finish at the venue. Speaking to Racer, he said:
“I want it so bad. And I think it would be the first shoey I ever do where I wouldn’t be alone. I am pretty sure I’d look down at the crowd and there would be others doing it with me. So, a collaborative shoey would be the dream.”
During his last visit to the track with Renault, Ricciardo had a disastrous start when he clipped a bump and sheared off his front wing. That necessitated a lengthy pit stop, which dropped him out of contention for a potential top-5 finish.
While McLaren aren’t in their best shape this season, the “Honey Badger” is nevertheless hoping for points at the very least.
