'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fans have taken aim at RB driver Daniel Ricciardo's lackluster outing at the Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne, as the homeboy failed to get past Q1.
The third Grand Prix weekend is around the corner, with the Free Practice sessions done and dusted. Ricciardo has entered his first full-time schedule since parting ways with McLaren at the end of the 2022 season. The Australian driver fields VCARB01 alongside his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Ricciardo's footing into the current season has been on a rather lackluster note, as he hasn't scored a point yet. During the season-opener Bahrain GP, he finished P13, followed by his Jeddah run, wherein he came home with a P16 finish.
Trending
The 38-year-old's Saturday qualifying run at the 5.278km circuit ended on a displeasing note. In the final moments of Q1, the 8x Grand Prix winner blazed past the line, progressing towards Q2. However, due to exceeding the track limits on Turn 5, his time was deleted, and the Aussie got eliminated in Q1 itself.
Despite his dismal display, the commentators apparently downplayed the notion, and that's what has caught the fans' attention. One fan took a direct jibe at Ricciardo for his subpar display, writing (via X):
"He gets knocked out in q1 and they still have to statpad that it was the first time he's been out just admit he's washed already. What dirt does ricciardo have on these commentators"
Here are a few reactions of the fans who shared the same feeling:
Daniel Ricciardo gives a stern take on his F1 future with his "I don't buy" remark
Daniel Ricciardo parted ways with McLaren as the 2022 season concluded and joined forces with his former team, Red Bull, once again. However, the Australian driver was added to the Milton Keynes-based outfit's roster as the third driver.
But luck played its cards in favor of Ricciardo when, after a subpar display by Nyck de Vries during his stint with the then Alpha Tauri, he was replaced by the former. From his seven Grand Prix stints in the 2023 season, the 34-year-old raked in six points and stood at P17, just three positions shy from his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who sat at P14 with 17 points in the bag.
However, the Aussie's underwhelming 2024 season has attracted a lot of scrutiny from the crew and fans alike, with Helmut Marko going as far as stating the RB teammates as "too slow" during the race.
Ahead of his third GP weekend, Daniel Ricciardo shunned questions about his future at the pinnacle of motorsports, saying:
“I don't buy into any of the stories, if you will. I know, obviously, what my position is in the team...I think any team you're with, you know if you have a really strong season it could lead to maybe something different or increase your position where you currently are. I think it's always our objective to do the best we can. And I think whatever happens will happen or can happen.”
