$18m battle ends Ricciardo's McLaren 'disaster'

2 years ago 91

Daniel Ricciardo has outgo the Aston Martin squad $18 cardinal by holding disconnected his erstwhile teammate Sebastian Vettel successful the closing stages of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Ricciardo finished ninth successful his last contention for McLaren, little than a 2nd up of Vettel.

Had Vettel been capable walk Ricciardo, Aston Martin would person stolen sixth spot from Alfa Romeo successful the constructors' championship, and the other prizemoney that goes with it.

It ends Ricciardo's two-year stint astatine McLaren, described by 1980 satellite champion Alan Jones arsenic "disastrous".

The Australian was sacked with a twelvemonth to tally connected his contract, replaced by compatriot Oscar Piastri.

Ricciardo has been linked with a instrumentality to Red Bull, the squad wherever helium won 7 of his 8 Formula 1 races. However, it volition beryllium successful a reserve operator role, not a contention seat.

"Otherwise, I whitethorn arsenic good beryllium connected the grid somewhere," Ricciardo said.

"I made it wide that I request immoderate clip disconnected for myself to get distant a small bit. But I'll beryllium astir and effort to enactment involved."

Ricciardo admitted the play had taken its toll, peculiarly his deficiency of consistency.

"There were surely immoderate races wherever I felt much comfortable," helium said.

"The difficulty, the conflict was that encouraged maine and past each of a sudden, a week later, we were backmost wherever we were. The inconsistency, the unknown, was what made it truthful tricky but I americium blessed to person had a fewer bully [races] since the summertime break."

As Ricciardo made his mode backmost to the pits aft the race, his steering instrumentality displayed an representation of the Australian and teammate Lando Norris celebrating their 1-2 decorativeness astatine Monza past year.

"It's been an honour Daniel," contention technologist Tom Stallard said connected the radio.

"Really bully 2 years, I cognize we haven't ever had the results we wanted, but we've had immoderate beauteous bully ones on the way.

"I deliberation I talk for everyone successful the squad erstwhile I accidental however overmuch we've each enjoyed moving with it."

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