"Daniel Ricciardo has been shocking" - ex-F1 driver Johnny Herbert questions the Australian's future

Daniel Ricciardo's first season at McLaren has been nothing short of disappointing. The Australian moved from Renault to McLaren this year and the move paid off in terms of improved car performance. However, Ricciardo has not been a match for teammate Lando Norris throughout the season.

Lando Norris, for his part, has had a breakout campaign so far and has been one of the sharpest talents on the grid. The 21-year-old dominated his more-experienced teammate to the point that Ricciardo had to face team orders on multiple occasions this year.

Sky Sports F1's Johnny Herbert voiced his concern about Daniel Ricciardo's performance this season by saying:

"Daniel has been a shocker. We never expected him to struggle so much. I can empathize with him and it’s terrible, especially when it’s been so long and you still haven’t found the answer. Still, we know how good he is and he knows it too. I’ve heard Daniel’s problems are brake-related, but it’s also down to aerodynamics. if it’s already causing us headaches, think what it’s like for him. But what’s happened?”

Herbert, who himself was overshadowed by one Michael Schumacher at Benetton, went on to draw parallels with other promising F1 talents of the past who failed to live up to expectations and were subsequently left by the wayside. He said:

“He’s not too old, he hasn’t had a bad crash. There have been plenty of drivers for whom it [their talent] just evaporated. I go back to Jean [Alesi]. He was the ‘next big thing’ and yet he only won one grand Prix. It didn’t work for him, with all his natural talent. The problem is that if it doesn’t get better, the rumors start, and once that starts and the tornado accelerates, you’re just a passenger.”

Should Daniel Ricciardo be concerned?

Daniel Ricciardo has 95 points compared to Norris' 145. Even his win at Monza seems insignificant now as Norris soon re-established his dominance at McLaren in the following races.

Most recently, Ricciardo was off the pace at the Turkish Grand Prix. Prior to that, while Lando Norris was on course to win the Russian Grand Prix, Ricciardo was unable to match him.

Unfortunately for Daniel Ricciardo, it's not the first time that he's been in this situation. His move away from Red Bull to Renault was fueled by a young Max Verstappen driving circles around Ricciardo, causing the team to rally around the Dutchman.

With history already on course to repeat itself for Daniel Ricciardo, he will have to ensure that the first half of the 2022 F1 season doesn't play out in Norris' favor again.