Daniel Ricciardo’s rocky start to the season with McLaren saw a new chapter at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix when he was fourteenth in qualifying and ultimately finished thirteenth in the race.
Ricciardo has only managed to finish in the points zone twice so far this year, prompting McLaren principal Zak Brown to say earlier this week that the Australian was not meeting the team’s expectations.
During the Monaco weekend, it was discovered that Ricciardo had written the initials ‘ FEA ‘ on the back of his helmet design, which stand for ‘ fuck em all ‘.
Over the weekend, the Woking rider was asked about the acronym and said it wasn’t directed at anyone in particular and was a move to help cheer himself up.
“I also put it on my helmet in 2018,” Ricciardo recalled.
“I like to use acronyms to cheer me up. Honestly, it’s not directed at anyone, it’s something I’ve said for a few years, and it just puts me in my place.”
“I think also, as a driver, you put on the helmet and that’s also very significant in turning on the mental switch. It’s one of the last things I’ll see when I put on the helmet.”
“So it reminds me to channel and take action,” he added.
Zak Brown ‘s comments, combined with Ricciardo ‘s poor run since joining McLaren , with the exception of his victory at Monza 2021, have sparked rumors about his future at the British team, despite having a contract until the end of the season. of 2023.
The team official also revealed last week in Indianapolis that there were “mechanisms in which we are committed to each other and conditions in which we are not” within the Australian’s contract.
Ricciardo made no secret of his disappointment at his qualifying result at Monaco, where he finished more than a second behind Lando Norris, especially as it is a track for which he has “great admiration and a love affair”.
“But still, it’s not just me, the team wants to see me getting better results,” Ricciardo said on Saturday.
“It’s not just me who doesn’t want to be in 14th place. The team doesn’t want to see me there either.”
“I don’t think I will necessarily change course overnight, but I have to keep going and for sure we can improve together,” concluded the veteran Australian driver.
