😫 Daniel Ricciardo's HIDDEN F1 weakness that's been exposed at McLaren

What's gone wrong for Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren after he shone at Red Bull and Renault in F1? Mark Hughes explains how the weakness Ricciardo's shown over the last two years was probably always there, it had just never been brought out by the previous cars he'd driven.
#F1 #DanielRicciardo #McLaren
Subscribe: the-race.com/youtube_subscribe
Website: the-race.com/
Twitter: @wearetherace
Instagram: @wearetherace
Facebook: / wearetherace
Podcasts: the-race.com/podcasts
Thanks for watching - please like, share and comment, please also hit subscribe to show your support so we'll keep doing what we're doing.
www.the-race.com
/ wearetherace

[@DidierPeroni]

I maintain that Daniel’s biggest mistake was leaving Renault. He shafted himself more than he shafted them

[@johnnychimpo7539]

If he didn’t leave Red Bull, he might be fighting for a championship right now

[@jkim6200]

Hindsight is 20/20 vision. The real Didier Pironi would not have violated his agreement with Gilles Villeneuve had he known that karma would catch up with him.

[@zacvidyasagar8208]

I think he left cause there’s something fundamentally wrong in that team, cause you now have three great drivers in Ricciardo, Alonso and Piastri all leaving that team after seeing how it works from the inside

[@jkim6200]

@@zacvidyasagar8208 Here. Here. Renault seemed to have a similar problem with its team in the early 80's.

[@flakeys6447]

​@@johnnychimpo7539 no hé would be 2nd driver

[@zaidkidwai7831]

Miss that black and yellow Renault. Looks so good.

[@fingmoron]

Coldest looking car in the grid a few years ago

[@grammarlings6517]

I also miss the actual constructor's name on the Grid 'Alpine' bleurgh

[@DidierPeroni]

"Ye, Aahaan, You know what it is Black and yellow black and yellow black and yellow black and yellow" 😂 sorry had to do it

[@JapaneseSoomi]

​@@grammarlings6517 yeah, even tho alpine is still technically a manufacturer

[@TheKenji2221]

​@@grammarlings6517 Uh. Alpine also makes cars

[@raymondu99]

I absolutely love hearing Mark Hughes describe driving styles. More of this please! Of all drivers old generation and current

[@raymondu99]

@@MevRB19 I don't think that's a fair assessment. AFAIK he was a racing coach at Jim Russell Racing School previously

[@gtr.-_-]

are there any podcasts where he talks using his knowledge?

[@raymondu99]

@@gtr.-_- Motor Sport, occasionally. Never listened to The Race’s podcast, maybe he does there.

[@AM-yk1vt]

​@@MevRB19 very true statement I hate these people who explain things in a way even drivers don't. It's just words. Danny in my view is done. The only way he comes back he needs a weaker team mate because he simply cannot challenge the top guys. If another driver was in that Mclaren who is slower than Danny we would think it's the car but Norris is showing everyone that the car is good he just cannot extract it.

[@byanymeansnecessary9329]

@@AM-yk1vt Norris is not showing that the car is good, Norris is showing that he knows how to drive an inherently flawed car.

[@lild3838]

Leaving redbull is alright i can understand it, he doesnt want to be 2nd driver. He leaving renault just after 2 seasons until this day i cant really understand what he was thinking

[@miguelmendes9810]

For real ,biggest mistake he ever did career wise

[@raymondu99]

I think something in there “scared” him off. Like maybe he felt it wasnt making as much progress as McLaren or somesuch. But Webber, Piastri, Prost, Ricciardo, Alonso - all championship winners or people who have been involved in some way with F1 titles; all leave after 2 years max. Perhaps there is a rotten pattern in there somewhere

[@goacoa]

It's not that hard - he got an offer that no sane person would refuse. Plus, it was from the team that is, with Ferrari, most successful in F1. It was a no brainer.

[@Retr0_Blues]

@@goacoa they are also building a lot of new facilities that will speed up their development and they can easily catch up to merc or Ferrari just like AM . I think McLaren with Lando and Oscar could possibly make McLaren a top 3 team again provided they make a decent car .

[@goacoa]

@@Retr0_Blues Yeah, new wind tunnel should be ready finally, so hopefully next season will be a better one.

[@abedfo88]

That 2019 and 2020 Renault was a thing of beauty

[@ManOfPillowDoom]

Right?! I'm surprised he didn't get a win with it...

[@ivoryrick7734]

​@@ManOfPillowDoom top midfield, rb and merc were still up there. didnt get lucky enough to win, but scored a couple of podiums, which is very impressive. shame renault is no more after so much history

[@Masetr0]

​@@ivoryrick7734 I mean Alpine is still Renault but yeah the name change makes it seem less

[@grammarlings6517]

@@Masetr0 I miss the real constructor's name Renault, 'Alpine' is so bleurgh

[@Masetr0]

@@grammarlings6517 Yeah they should really go back. Also if they could change the car colors back to the Yellow Black scheme or the yellow sky Blue Alonso era scheme that would be great

[@keiton9512]

Everyone talks about him leaving RedBull was the mistake. No it wasn't, leaving Renault was.

[@DonutHolestien]

Legit Alpine is such ass this season that's crap. Alonso was pissed with Renault before he left, and he came back to the same shite team. No reliability

[@ManOfPillowDoom]

Yea and pretty much everyone was so hyped for him but I was just like wtf is he doing?

[@ArielGonzalez1]

Yes

[@motorcycle-man]

I'm pretty confident both weren't the greatest of moves for his career.

[@HallucinatingHedgehogs]

@@motorcycle-man true, I feel like it depends on if Daniel 1. Felt he could beat an ever improving max consistently 2. I think he felt rb start to favor max and make him a number 2 like Webber when seb came to the team. So for those two reasons if they are why he left I can understand the move away from rb (plus I think Renault was paying more and promised him no.1 driver status)

[@taz8808]

And everyone says the car RB was built for Max. The RB was built for Daniel and Max coz they both love that odd setup of the car.

[@Miked1332]

I still really hope Ricciardo comes back to drive again in '24. He is just a joy to see and is the most relatable guy in the field

[@jameswyatt4443]

There is definitely a misconception that Daniel like to break late, but that’s only overtakes, for the most part he breaks earlier than most, the McLaren is much better when you just throw it into corners, breaking much later in general, almost taking a bigger risk into the corners than most drivers would be comfortable with. It’s a testament to Norris and Sainz that they both got as much as they did out of a difficult to drive car.

[@RockSolitude]

Norris and Sainz had similar car preferences, which are closer to what McLaren does now as well as several other cars on the grid. To rotate the McLaren you really have to brake hard and late into the apex to transfer the weight, then rely on the overly strong rear end to pull you out, though it means you cant get on the power as early.

[@jameswyatt4443]

@@RockSolitude but I wouldn’t say Norris and Sainz prefer it, they’ve both spoken about how difficult the car is drive, they’ve just adapted.

[@AdityaSingh-qj4hd]

Even though Ricciardo was slightly slower than Max, he was still quite quick in the RB. He was much faster than Sergio has ever been in the Redbull. In 2017-18 whenever Max was winning in the RB, Ricciardo was also right there within 5-10 seconds of him until the car used to dnf.

[@bobsandvegana]

Dani and max were pretty equal on wins per year actually throughout the there partnership , about one or two for both per year , its only from 2021 max has started winning in incredible rate

[@Jejking]

@@bobsandvegana That's not really down to one simple mechanic, but many. Experience, competition, new rules, adaptation, engine change, car behaviour, etc etc.

[@tiberiustacitus5972]

Max in 2022 is a significantly better driver than the Max in 2017-18

[@kkkkkkk140]

It was Max's early days now max would be much better than him

[@st3althyone]

Don’t knock Checo, he’s no slouch. He wouldn’t be in second place behind Max if he wasn’t any good.

[@basirkhan8926]

This just increases my respect for Alonso. Always good with adapting to any car

[@ManOfPillowDoom]

I mean he's used to it so yeah...

[@ArielGonzalez1]

Yeah, Alonso is one of a kind. The team can throw any car and he is just gonna drive and squeeze the best performance it can give

[@kohikappu]

What driving an understeered Renault R25 does to an F1 driver.

[@kohikappu]

@@ArielGonzalez1 Yeah, remember F14-T, lol.

[@grammarlings6517]

@@kohikappu or the McLaren Honda -- lordy...

[@whassupg89]

This sounds like he could be fast again in the right car 🤞🏻

[@manojlds]

Don't know why you would think otherwise though. It's not like a fast driver like Daniel suddenly loses all skill. It's a serious adaptability issue, but he can be fast and top tier again in the right car. Same cannot be said for lot of drivers and unfortunately, a lot of drivers do adapt to different cars unlike Daniel.

[@IngeniusFool]

maybe RIC should race a bit in a different series to let go of the stigma in his driving style? Just to play?

[@SkiRacingOz]

@@manojlds arguable, the only driver I’d say can adapt to any given car is really Alonso and maybe Sainz, Hamilton has always had the car designed around him, Vettel has struggled with the Ferraris designed around leclerc and the Red Bull split between him and Ricciardo, Perez can’t even beat Mercedes’ and struggles with leclerc after he has a 5 second pit stop, Sainz tends to do alright going from Renault to mclaren to Ferrari, Norris has only ever driven one style of car as has leclerc really, bottas did so well in the Williams and fell off extremely hard in the Mercedes and no other drivers are really noteworthy. I’d argue very few drivers have the ability to adapt very well

[@peterj5751]

@@SkiRacingOz exactly right. And arguably a car that has a pointy front end will be faster, that is why Red Bull is going that way in their development in this year.

[@megawave79]

Cars a changing. Not moving backwards mate.

[@gregderise9969]

This is a really interesting analysis and helps me to understand why Ricardo had so much trouble at McLaren. I never realized how important it is to match the driver with the car, except in the case of those who can adapt to anything. I’d have to say that Alonso is the most adaptable driver When you see that he could’ve won the Indy 500 as a rookie, if the engine had given out, then he went to WEC and won that, and now he’s back with one of a few different F1 teams he’s driven for and still amazingly fast, no matter What car he sits in the seat of. He Masters the machinery, and does it quickly. He is amazing and probably one of the most talented drivers to ever live. Aston Martin are fortunate to get him because he will do things with that car they haven’t seen yet and help them to develop it to a much greater potential. With the top engineers that Lawrence Stroll is hiring, it could become a very competitive combination challenging close to the front of the field, as long as Lawrence Stroll himself does not interfere with engineering decisions of his competent team he is putting together. He needs to walk away from engineering meetings, unless he sits in the back and never says anything. He’s a very good businessman. Not an engineer, and he should know that and act like he knows that. Otherwise, he will be the downfall of his own team.

[@RockSolitude]

He won his championships on the back of F1 introducing a ridiculous tyre rule which made the tyres exceptionally hard with little grip. He was able to adapt to it flawlessly while everyone else struggled. His key strength lies in his ability to adapt. When F1 got rid of the rule and allowed tyre changes again, it put him on an even playing field with the rest of the grid.

[@dereksbooks]

This is what separates Ricciardo and Massa from the true greats. These two could be sublime when the car suited them, but as soon as the car doesn't, they are nowhere.

[@skyhigh6089]

​@paper plane three races, three podiums. How is that not an upgrade?

[@Simon-xu1qt]

Eventually when McLaren have finished blaming the engine ( with Honda then Renault ), then the drivers, they might just realise they cannot build a competitive car. Apparently they will be fine when they have a new wind tunnel. The only problem is red bull have an ancient wind tunnel but they know what they are doing and so their cars are great.

[@ChuyR.]

Mercedes is the real McLaren. Zak's team is just a shadow of what McLaren used to be.

[@GoatyHerps]

"Cannot build a competitive car." Lol. Lando gets points consistently. What's your next excuse?

[@ChuyR.]

@@GoatyHerps Dude, McLaren used to be a top team consistently, what's their excuse now?

[@GoatyHerps]

@@ChuyR. So did Williams... and Sauber.... etc etc. You must not know how this works.

[@gavcom4060]

@@GoatyHerps Yeah, and Williams and Sauber do not have the backing that top manufacturers like McLaren, Renault, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. have. The only outlier is Redbull, but they get their money from advertising their product in literally everything, something that Sauber and Williams clearly lack. Aston Martin has made rapid pace this season

[@Lilxspeed]

Facts that’s why you can’t change teams based on hope if the car fits your style stick with it and championships will come

[@ZuBeRCraZyBassY]

Mad respect for actually explaining this and not just blaming Daniel for liking a certain type of car.

[@thirushangovender5423]

Kinda reminds me of kimi after lotus started going in a different direction and he struggled in Ferrari afterwards against Alonso n seb. Makes me wonder if they had supported or designed the car more around him what would have happened

[@Sean-if7rp]

Kimi and Seb although on the surface looked like the perfect pairing, it wasn’t possible to make a car to suit both. The SF70H suited Seb more with an under steering balance, SF71H had a more oversteering balance which allowed Kimi to get closer but not enough in 2018 and also worked to Seb’s detriment

[@test-tl8dt]

​@Orange there were years when kimi looked like a beginner next to vettel and especially alonso in ferrari. he was a ghost of himself in some of those 2nd stint ferraris.

[@liamrobinson6063]

See this man speaks the truth, why did f1 let him leave, he has absolute talent he just needs the right machinery under him, hope he makes a come back

[@raymondu99]

I think we also have to also bear in mind that as the cars have less low speed grip and are heavier now, slow corners will always tend to be lower grip - slower; and with a more stable, understeer balance. There is less scope for cars to be designed towards his tail-happy preference as the very criteria of the sport is moving in such a way that it is allowing it less and less

[@harry4454]

Yeh but Lewis, Fernando and Max to name a few support this type of car

[@raymondu99]

@@harry4454 you mean the oversteery type? Nothing I say goes against that though. Having said that, Alonso said he prefers understeer to oversteer recently.

[@killianoreilly5416]

I love Danny Ric, but when he got a penalty in Mexico, he came alive. That pace came from somewhere. He's able to go quick. As sad as it is, there's must be a mental block or something stopping him

[@robertulrich7150]

No, it's the car. The only reason he had much better pace was due to tire strategy. Give him a good car and he will be fast, the McLaren is a terrible car...

[@grammarlings6517]

@@robertulrich7150 you can't blame the car when Lando is currently at 111 and Ricciardo is at 35.

[@dzikripratama3776]

​@@grammarlings6517 same thing can be said for Vettel back in 2020 tho

[@iDropPhats]

@@grammarlings6517 To be fair, this McLaren is the only thing Lando has ever known, he doesn’t have years of experience driving other better cars that felt more alive. McLaren just failed to create a supremely competitive car and Lando has even stated it’s a very difficult car to drive. Everyone in the paddock knows that McLaren has just been plagued with issues in the drivability department, a world class driver doesn’t go from top performer to back of the midfield by accident

[@gavcom4060]

@@iDropPhats although not as dramatic, we did see this with Vettel in 2014, when the cars drove much differently

[@KCJbomberFTW]

Wow that’s a whole lot about driving I never thought of till now

[@gregderise9969]

Please, more analysis of different drivers by Mark Hughes!

[@boxdrinks]

Would be cool if Mark analyses Mick's driving style

[@frjoethesecond]

I think it's time for him to swallow his pride and return to RB. It's his destiny as an Australian to be "Not bad for a number 2 driver".

[@aventusV33]

He can't go back to RB, as a 2nd driver atleast. That time is gone unfortunately

[@kekehilo1169]

He wouldn’t get the drive. Not good enough for a top team anymore.

[@rockzs74r]

Not even Seb take the chance to return (He got a legit offer for 2022 from redbull depending on how Alex performed 2021 as well but he doesn't want to wait and chose to close the redbull chapter).

[@planetarygodzilla]

But will he have an opportunity? Perez seems to be planning for years.

[@Mr5foxy]

@@planetarygodzilla Yeah I think RB are more than happy to keep Perez as long as he performs the way he is. He is the perfect number 2 for Max, he still gets his chance to win races/get podiums, but he also understands that Max is their number 1 and he will play the team game if it means getting Max the championship. RB have found their Bottas in Perez, a great team player and consistent driver.

[@ryandevillers214]

I reckon Ricky and alonso at Renault now alpine would have been sitting right behind the top 2 and fighting for third with mercedes this season.

[@sharonec5419]

That would have been a dream team.

[@MLK_Sold_Black_america_out]

I will say that Daniel Riccardo had as much talent as often as he smiles.i hope that he gets another shot with a decent car

[@e2rqey]

The bigger tires and new aero setup seems to have weakend the front end grip across the board. Even the RB18 seems to have significantly less front end grip than last season. I think Daniel could drive the Ferrari well though. That car seems to fit his driving style the best

[@jeffreynolds3848]

Mark - lovely to see you draw on all your experience of watching drivers on different parts of the track... I still miss your ‘flights of fancy’, tho’...

[@raymondu99]

Don’t forget he was a racing coach once too

[@SilverScarletSpider]

please do more driving style analysis like this. Alex Albon says that Max drives on Maximum Sensitivity, while Pierre Gasly prefers the Toro Rosso oversteer

[@willynelson8750]

Drivers should be able to adapt, and maximise the performance from the car, end of story.

[@michaelmccann3469]

The Race is by far the best neutral F1 source out there. Guys put out top notch f1 content

[@thatonemouse3016]

Can't believe that Daniel and Kimi have the same driving style.

[@kohikappu]

Both are extremely similar on that regard. Young Kimi used to dive bomb too if I remember it well. Good times.

[@reynaldiwidjaja277]

I honestly thought the Renault had the same philosophy as Mclaren.

[@raymondu99]

Apparently not, according to Mark

[@JBandTheCharactersUpstairs]

Very insightful and interesting where can I find more like this?

[@CoLdAsIcE277]

could someone lead me to the full video this is taken from? would love to watch!

[@michaelmccann3469]

Subscribe to The Race podcast

[@Marcushalberstram749]

Did anyone reply your comment? I would love to know too!

[@MohammedAhmd04]

On Spotify - The Race Podcast

[@AaronDav-nq8hk]

Man i hope daniel gets a set in 24...... would be so sad to see his career end after these last 2 years at mclaren

[@TheGoldwingz]

This is the most genius person I've ever heard in f1. His articulation is wonderful. more of him!

[@armando_alves]

Exactly what I've always said. Ricciardo prefers oversteer biased cars.

[@keonxd8918]

Imagine if he stayed at renault, we could had have a Riccardo and Alonso pairing for 2021 and 2022

[@endlessmotion2255]

These are the things that the average F1 fan, or casual fan, just aren't aware of. They just assume that a driver has lost it or their new teammate is far better when sometimes it's just the nature of a car's design that can really hinder a driver from producing their best. Some drivers have more of an ability to compensate or drive around the characteristics of a car that don't suit them but sometimes a driver is simply at the mercy of the designers. Max is obviously an exceptional talent but I think Perez suffers from a similar issue to Ricciardo that makes him look an amateur at Red Bull in comparison

[@HaydenLau.]

A good driver can drive fast in one car. A great driver knows how to adapt and drive fast in any car

[@alistairmills7608]

Excellent overview.

[@jackassdude2010]

I am suffering from this exact problem. Every game before f1 22 I was rapid and now with the new cars I’m having a hard time trail braking the car around the apex because it’s in my blood to slow the car down as fast as possible, and then get back on the throttle early and roll on to the power until it’s time to punch it.

[@xX_Gravity_Xx]

Play some other sims and drive some classic Trans-Am cars or old Open Wheelers. Hell even Indycar with a proper setup. Plenty of cars out there to help you fight the habit.

[@vezna31]

I can understand the problem with adaptability. I was used to a Honda S2000 on the racetrack, and my brother and I did a track day outside Vegas where they supplied a Lotus Elise. My brother adapted quickly and was fast as hell and I had all kinds of issues with the understeer, whereas my S is much more tail happy.

[@Qball613]

I've been saying this since the Renault move. Drivers who learned with Adrian Newey's design doctrine tend to favor this driving style. It's the reason Perez has struggled, it's why seb would loop it in his years with Ferrari.

[@paranoia3608]

huh, that just about the exact way i drive/set up my cars, both sim and (limited) irl driving

[@JarrodR31]

Thankyou for this 🤜

[@nightshadeentertainment6568]

and now, back in a psuedo-redbull, he's good again, would ya look at that

[@eliedisso1420]

He would work really well with the current w14 then with a strong front end

[@markpatterson2507]

Very well said,sir.Ill tune in soon for more!

[@CHEGTO]

I agree leaving Renault works was one of those head scratching moments I guess I can understand but not really and I wish he could have gone back to them as alpine

[@Nikelaos_Khristianos]

Maybe more a psychological reason. Because his weakness at McLaren shocked him as much as us. Which was later proven when Red Bull got him back in their simulator and said that they couldn’t recognise him.

[@sgsheff]

I think it shows the flaws of the McLaren car than the driver. Carlos described driving the McLaren as being strange as well after he moved to Ferrari when talking to Daniel.

[@wiegraf9009]

It's both. Lando, Daniel, and Carlos all said the car is a weird handful but only Daniel couldn't adapt to it.

[@sgsheff]

@@wiegraf9009 definitely. You would think that they would work on the drivability of the car more. It's interesting when teams find performance but it feels unnatural to the drivers yet they keep pursuing performance for the sake of performance in fear of being left behind but with the new regulations it seems drivability is more important.

[@dezpotizmOFheaven]

If Redbull invested in him instead of Verstappen, a lot of controversials would have been avoided. Daniel is one of the cleanest drivers ever. Whenever he started an overtake, it worked out. He always know exactly when to innitiate a move so it works out - maybe to clean, not forcing his oponents to move to a different line at all. The only time it didn't work out was when Verstappen swerved in front of him in Baku and he rear ended him...

[@ploppyjr2373]

Maybe but it would’ve cost them 2021

[@benjaminmorris4962]

In F1, you're only true competitor as a driver is your teammate - IF the team allows you to compete with them

[@merlinbotha363]

I don't trust people that prefer understeer to oversteer

[@erasmus_locke]

I've been saying it for years and people never listened to me until now!

[@kohikappu]

I thought it was exposed since 2020. True, he still was quick, but the same as to what Mark said, that problem was lying, waiting for the momentum to destroy him. And this gets worsened by the brake issues that McLaren have coupled by the fact that this team weren't in a state they used to be as they started complaining about minor components after the end of Honda era. And no offence here, but I don't think Zak Brown knows what he is doing. I've been saying this for ages and no one doesn't seem to believe me either.

[@americanpride9733]

I love these detailed insights

[@samsonlovesyou]

Hilary Benn makes a good point in this video.

[@priztucker]

I hope we get a black Livery next year. F1 needs it

[@anthonyhernandez6477]

for as good as daniel’s driving style was in the redbull i can’t imagine what he could do in one today. if only he never left to begin with. left redbull to be the number 1 driver of a team now he’s gonna be a number 3..

[@RockSolitude]

If the red bull was suited to his driving style and still is suited to his driving style (which it more than likely will because max shares similar preferences) then there's no reason why Ricciardo wouldn't do well in the RB again.

[@anthonyhernandez6477]

@@RockSolitude 100% agree! can't wait to see what he can do hopefully he gets a good amount of seat time!

[@CRANEII]

I'm not an expert about this sport but I can definitely see a difference in how he drove the redbull car and renault car in comparison to how he drove the McLaren car. It's a shame we might not see him in f1 next year, also seb...

[@johnasimoglou8226]

Wouldn't he better with the new 2023 tires that Are created to give more front end rotation

[@darudy]

Mark is an outstanding f1 journalist.

[@PowellCat745]

Explains why he was so fast in 2014. Looks like Vettel would’ve destroyed him in that McLaren.

[@marcush.1901]

No, I don't think so. I think Vettel also needs that great front to rely on, so he can rotate the car very very late.

[@PowellCat745]

@@marcush.1901 lmao then he must be really slow in SF-70H 🤡

[@Man-ix5mc]

@@marcush.1901 Well that's where his driving style comes in. He brakes really late and hard which loads up the front with a lot of weight leading to a tremendous entry (also the reason why he spins out a lot in the Ferrari.) So considering that the McLaren has a weak front end then Vettel loading the front end would compensate for that.

[@geek49203]

IndyCar would be a great fit then... Dixon has made quite a living w/ those preferences.

[@giveUup1921]

I guess when he do a comeback in 2024 or later and he still don't know which team to choose, all he need to do is ask one of the driver about the car characteristic

[@maxxuman9915]

If only James Key could have made a car with a good front end...

[@grammarlings6517]

Lando is currently outdriving the car 111 points so far… but yeah the car needs to be better in general.

[@EllisWL]

I don’t think people realised it at the time but that 2020 Renault was just gorgeous😍 Wish he stayed at Renault as the car concept was similar to Red Bull’s with the pointy front end but it obviously wasn’t as good as Red Bull. The Mclaren has been described as a very tricky car to drive by Lando Norris so it’s impressive what he can get out of it over a talent like Daniel. But I guess that’s Daniels weakness that he struggles to adapt his driving style to an unpredictable car which is where the very best drivers excel. This is how you know Lando is a generational talent alongside Max, George and Charles.

[@wardencobb7442]

What a brilliantly asserted, well thought out opinion. I loved every second of that.

[@Rob.Ko.]

Quite alike to Max, Charles and few other top drivers preferred car setups.

[@Jonessinho360]

He's the same as Max. At the beginning of the season, when the car setup is neutral, you'll notice Checo is a lot closer to Max until Redbull reverts to a pointy front-end. During these periods, Max would complain a lot on the radio and then when the setup changes, Checo complains and his driving standard falls precipitously.

[@swoondrones]

All Australian racers I know, car and bike, prefer loose rear ends. Doohan, Stoner. The same, for better control and safety. Nuts that they never wore out the rears, though. Classy.

[@MurpheeLaw]

I have been commenting other places about how DR needs a car that can turn. This perfectly explains what I've been seeing. He's simply not fast enough into and out of the corners.

[@doric_historic]

Possibly he is more adaptable to another series of which he may be very dominant like Indycar.

[@drazensusnjara7606]

What an amazing insight!

[@skazztheterrible]

Been saying all this year that Lando wants an understeering car and it's his fault the Mclaren is bad and getting worse. Good to finally hear someone explain clearly how this is happening - Daniel needs a good front and some oversteer bias to bring the car around. Lando wants predictability at the rear and understeer bias so the car won't drop the rear under him. Lando even preemptively claimed Daniel wants understeer to ward it off when people started making noises in the media. But the reality is it's him (his comments made me wonder if he even actually understands what understeer is) and it's important because we know understeer bias is the enemy of a really fast car. Lando has pushed the Mclaren that way and it's only gotten worse since Mclaren wrote Daniel off completely 1/3rd into the season and stopped listening to him. Mclaren have doomed themselves to mediocrity with Lando as their lead. And Daniel doomed himself (and Cyril) by listening to Zack's siren call. Sad all round really.

[@bokebryant3985]

The fastest cars on the grid usually prefer oversteer anyways, just want to see does he still have it if he’s put into red bull cars rn

[@erdemeebilgee3584]

The 2014 red bull was like that and thats why seb was super slow and was always spinning in the ferraris since his title winning cars had a SUPERB rear end but the ferraris and 2014 red bull had weak rear ends

[@lyleclarke619]

I always figured the McLaren just flat out doesn't suit him. Drivers like Lewis and Alonso seem very adaptable which is obviously a massive strength but it still annoys me that it seems as though McLaren, like Red Bull, only cater for one driver.

[@raulpetrascu2696]

Ever think about how because it's so important about a car suiting the driver (aside from someone like Alonso) most drivers who didn't accomplish anything worth mentioning (type who go onto become commentators etc) might've done amazing and become champions if it was in a different era with slightly different car balance, tech or spec for example a future era of F1 where the cars have loose side or something subtle you never know. So much more luck involved than you think, if Mclaren or the rest of the field had a car more like RB Daniel would still be racing next year if he made the same choice for example or how the tyre change meant Kimi wasn't so quick anymore or Seb spinning in the modern ferrari

[@solomon6082]

Couldn’t agree more

[@mikewilliams1479]

I think McLaren showed another weakness of Danni. He cannot easily relearn a new driving style.

[@ilijajelic8876]

What I've been saying for 2 years now

[@kohikappu]

Same, people didn't seem to believe it though.

[@Akshayjustdoit]

How did Jenson button do it?

[@AdonisGaming93]

Vettel was the exact opposite, excelled in cars with a good stable rear, and qhen leclerc joined ferarri and built the car around him to be more loose in the rear vettel kept spinning. Vettel likes cars that have a planted rear end. This is why qhen selecting teammates you also gotta see whether they have different driving styles. Otherwise they are gonna clash and one of them is not going to like the car

[@ChrisMisMYhandle]

Mark is the best F1 analyst.

[@grammarlings6517]

All drivers have a preference it seems, but the great drivers can adapt to both types of car. Still... it's really interesting how this property (front or back stability) seems to be one of the most difficult things for a driver to overcome if it changes from car to car. Verstappen and Perez being completely opposite in their preferences has been a sore issue for Perez since the car can't be just 'adjusted' for this property and the team have (for good reason) favored development towards Verstappen's preferences, explaining Perez's relative loss of form in the second half of the season.

[@kohikappu]

And then, you have Vettel with his style of fetishizing a stable rear-end for overtaking.

[@grammarlings6517]

@@kohikappu I think Perez is also a 'stable rear ender'... lol ;)

[@kohikappu]

@@grammarlings6517 He definitely is. Hamilton also said that when he tried to overtake him, "He got so much rear-end." or maybe he mistook his butt with the other rear part, lol.

[@bathembufutshane1462]

Where can I get the full video, I love driving style videos

[@f1master973]

With the macca being on the weight limit at the beginning of the season I guess they have some weight to play with... So they should put all available ballast on the front and more downforce and voilá, you got a WDC caliber Dannyboy

[@built2jzlexus496]

Which podcast is this from

[@chilli-soup]

Would he know how Red did it and tried but failed explaining to Ren and McL? Could he even pin point why or where his post cars fail his driving style? If so he must of said he needs the car to his liking before signing, then after his new team says na get used to our car.

[@thecarrierpigeon6657]

The last of the great late brakers

[@Rafaelg809]

That’s exactly why I fully support his comeback to redbull. I understand he doesn’t deserve it bc his performances have been bad. However I believe he can perform way better in that redbull, even more because his driving style is similar to max’s.

[@uprightfossil6673]

The guy who kept Max’ Red Bull behind him driving that Mclaren brick was supposed to be the second driver in the team? 😂

[@nitram.9621]

yes, but this year's gen of cars require more delicate control of weight distribution than those before, so even with a car with huge front end his weakness will still be draging him down, it is not all about the mclaren. it's also about the new regs, and those won't go away next year, so why couldn't he adapt?

[@Hellvellyn]

I think he and Renault/Alpine would be in a much stronger place had he not left for McLaren

[@jamesgrady9352]

Almost like a reverse Alonso

[@ankursolanky4129]

Finally, someone who actually understands why Daniel isn't fast at McLaren. Why the hell would you make the rear strong when you need to give the front end grip by braking super late? It's been proven that Lando brakes later than Daniel by Driver61, but McLaren's current aero philosophy will not win them championships.

[@jeffkiefer5182]

Hope wecan see him on the grid again soon. Maybe Alpha Tauri then back to Red Bull.