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The key test Norris aced that Ricciardo faces in F1 2022

OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo’s early struggles getting up to speed at McLaren was a big story in Formula 1 in 2021. He improved to score that famous Monza win, but was still beaten in the championship by Lando Norris. As they enter their second season as team-mates, here’s how the McLaren drivers have switched places in one important consideration

Alex Kalinauckas Feb 16, 2022, 9:32 AM

Upd: Feb 16, 2022, 11:48 AM

Daniel Ricciardo will always have a special place in McLaren's history. After all, the ever-smiling Australian will always be the driver that ended the storied team’s nine-year wait for a Formula 1 victory, with his famous win at Monza last season.

But when looking at 2021 overall and Ricciardo’s first season in orange, the campaign will be remembered as an enduring tough challenge. He was eclipsed by team-mate Lando Norris during the first half of the year – even getting lapped at Monaco, a race where he is a previous winner. Things improved considerably after the summer break, including his Italian Grand Prix triumph, but come the year’s end Ricciardo finished two places and 45 points behind his team-mate.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.