Ricciardo's Car Failure: Bahrain Breakdown

Daniel Ricciardo's debut race for McLaren at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was marred by an early collision with Pierre Gasly, which left his car with floor damage that significantly reduced downforce and affected his performance. Despite qualifying in sixth place, Ricciardo finished the race in seventh, 20 seconds behind his teammate Lando Norris.

McLaren revealed Ricciardo's car had floor damage from a collision with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly

Daniel Ricciardo's debut race for McLaren at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2021 was compromised by floor damage to his car, caused by a collision with AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly.

Ricciardo started the race in sixth place but finished seventh, 20 seconds behind his teammate Lando Norris. McLaren later revealed that the floor of Ricciardo's car had been damaged in the collision with Gasly on the first lap, causing a "considerable" loss of downforce.

Ricciardo himself was unsure if there was any damage to his car after the race, though he admitted that it would explain his struggle for pace. He said, "I kind of hope I have damage, maybe it explains some of the pace... I didn’t [feel the impact]. I saw him [Gasly] at the end of the race and said what happened and he said ‘oh I ran into the back of you’, so I had no idea!"

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl confirmed the extent of the damage, stating, "Post-race we found damage to Daniel’s floor from the impact of Pierre running into the back of his car at the beginning of the race. The level of damage cost a considerable amount of downforce. Despite the performance loss, Daniel used his experience to cope with the issues and score important points for the team."

The collision with Gasly occurred when Ricciardo was attempting to follow Norris through a pass on Gasly during the Lap 4 Safety Car restart. While Ricciardo was able to continue, the damage to his car's floor caused him to lose time and he was unable to match Norris's pace for the rest of the race.

This incident highlights the competitive nature of Formula One racing, where even a small collision and resulting damage can significantly impact a driver's performance and race strategy. It also underscores the importance of teamwork and communication between drivers and their teams to identify and address any issues that may arise during a race.

Ricciardo was cleared to race in Bahrain after recovering from COVID-19

After testing positive for COVID-19, Daniel Ricciardo was cleared to race in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. The Australian driver had been feeling unwell and was forced to miss the entire pre-season test. McLaren had backup options in Oscar Piastri and Nyck de Vries if Ricciardo was unfit to race in the season opener. However, the team confirmed that Ricciardo had returned multiple negative tests and would be ready to compete in Bahrain.

Ricciardo was still at a disadvantage as he had only completed a day and a half of testing in Barcelona before the opening race. McLaren also faced challenges with overheating brakes during the test in Bahrain, limiting Lando Norris to 200 laps over three days. Despite these setbacks, Ricciardo was determined to make the most of the opportunity and put his best foot forward in the race.

Ricciardo's car suffered an electrical failure on the second lap

Despite these setbacks, Ricciardo managed to stay in the points, finishing the race in seventh place, two places and 20 seconds behind Norris, who finished fourth. The electrical failure was a disappointing start to Ricciardo's time with McLaren, especially considering his impressive qualifying performance, where he secured sixth place, one position ahead of Norris.

Ricciardo's performance in the race was impacted by floor damage sustained at the start due to the collision with Gasly, which resulted in a "considerable" loss of downforce. This issue, combined with the electrical failure, contributed to his lack of pace throughout the race.

Ricciardo's issues in Bahrain were indicative of a broader trend in his career, where he has often struggled to perform in mediocre or difficult cars. His time with McLaren, in particular, was challenging, and he faced a clash of cultures and a flood of overwhelming information from the team.

Ricciardo's car was 20 seconds behind his new McLaren teammate

Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren debut at the Bahrain GP in 2021 saw him finish 20 seconds behind his new teammate, Lando Norris. The race started chaotically, with Russian rookie Nikita Mazepin crashing out on turn three. Ricciardo was passed by Norris before the first lap was finished, and on lap five, he was involved in a collision that left AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly without his front wing.

Ricciardo recovered to stay in the points, finishing seventh, but he knew he had a lot of work to do, especially with Norris' impressive fourth-placed finish. Ricciardo's performance was affected by floor damage sustained at the start of the race due to contact with Gasly, which resulted in a "considerable" loss of downforce.

Despite the floor damage, Ricciardo remained positive and looked forward to the next race, stating: "I'm sure there's still some finessing that I can do with the car, and just learn probably what sweet spot I'm after in the set-up."

Ricciardo's car was involved in a collision with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly on lap five

During the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo was involved in a collision with AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly on lap five. The incident left Gasly without his front wing and caused floor damage to Ricciardo's car, resulting in a "considerable" loss of downforce. Despite this setback, Ricciardo managed to finish the race in seventh place, holding off Valtteri Bottas in eighth.

Ricciardo's team, McLaren, revealed that the floor damage sustained from the collision with Gasly negatively impacted his performance. Team boss Andreas Seidl stated that the level of damage resulted in a significant loss of downforce, which hindered Ricciardo's pace throughout the race.

Ricciardo himself expressed disappointment with his lack of pace and hoped that potential damage to his car could explain the gap to his teammate, Lando Norris, who finished fourth. A post-race inspection confirmed the extent of the damage, and Ricciardo acknowledged that he would "sleep better" knowing that the issue was not solely due to a lack of pace.

The collision with Gasly was not the only incident for Ricciardo during the race. On the first lap, he was passed by Norris before the lap was completed. Additionally, the race started chaotically after Russian rookie Nikita Mazepin crashed out on turn three. Despite these challenges, Ricciardo secured six points for McLaren, contributing to their positive start to the season.

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