Daniel Ricciardo was axed by VCARB after the Singapore Grand Prix
Anthony Davidson has claimed that Daniel Ricciardo’s fall from grace was in part due to the Australian’s inability to adapt to new car developments. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso may also be concerned given their Formula One success came in older machinery.
Formula One has seen sweeping regulation changes over the past few years. Ricciardo’s performances with McLaren coincided with new ground-effect aerodynamic cars in 2022.
The 35-year-old left McLaren two years into his three-year deal and has since been axed by VCARB, all but ending his career at the top of motorsport. Former driver Davidson believes Ricciardo’s decline can be partially explained by major car developments in recent years.
I think that the thing for Ricciardo is that he has driven in Formula One for a long time. He’s seen the cars evolve, he’s seen them change into the cars that they are today, which don’t have the same level of grip and a very different way you have to drive them compared to the older cars,” he told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
And you hang on to that as a driver. You always hang on to the best car you’ve ever driven. And in a way, Formula One in general spoils you as a driver.
“I never drove anything else that felt anywhere near as good as my little Super Aguri in the early 2000s and it just spoils you. So you’re always there expecting and demanding that kind of performance from anything else you ever drive, and it fails to deliver.
“And that’s what Ricciardo is experiencing now with these cars, and arguably drivers like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton as well, they’ve driven way better machinery in their past than what they are now. It’s just the way the regulations evolve over time
But the young drivers getting in from an F2 car, this is the best car they’ve ever driven. So they don’t come into it with any preconceived ideas. This is just mega and the car is a dream to drive for them. So it’s never been better for them. So it’s a big difference.”
Hamilton himself has struggled for consistency. His two Grand Prix triumphs this year were his first since 2021, with Mercedes unable to provide the seven-time world champion with the best possible car.
