‘I’ll find a way to win’ – Daniel Ricciardo confident he can excel in Formula 1 with right car after McLaren struggles

Daniel Ricciardo says he’s determined to find a Formula 1 car that can get the best out of him when he leaves McLaren at the end of the 2022 season.

The Australian has struggled since joining the British team last year, and in August it was announced that his deal would end a year early, with Oscar Piastri replacing Ricciardo for the 2023 season.

The 33-year-old has had a difficult year and is currently 12th in the Driver’s Championship, while his surprise departure from McLaren has left him without a seat for next season.

But Ricciardo, whose last race victory came at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021, believes he can still compete at the top if handed the right tools.

“I’m certainly aware that I’m not perfect,” Ricciardo told The Race.

“I have weaknesses. And unfortunately, this car’s exposed that ultimately. So, there is that where it’s humbling. I can still work on things and better myself.

“But then the confident part of me is like – you give me a car to win and I’ll f***ing win!

“That’s where I still draw a lot of confidence from. When I get that in a car, I’ll find a way to win.”

That confidence is something that remains crucial for Ricciardo, despite the hit it will have taken over the last two seasons amid his struggles to keep up with team-mate Lando Norris and the rest of the field.

“Don’t get me wrong, you still need that, or at least a big element of that,” he added.

“Because otherwise, you don’t belong here, simply. But for sure, with age and maturity you start to just be more honest with yourself. If I was perfect, then I would have found a way to deal with this.

“It’s not that I don’t want to obviously work on my weaknesses! But I can’t be messing around with that too much. It’s ‘find a car that I can exploit my talent with, and I’ll find a way’.”