Former Formula 1 driver, Karun Chandhok, has affirmed that we have not witnessed the “real” Daniel Ricciardo since he joined McLaren.
The Australian left Renault after a two-year stint with the French side, and joined McLaren at the beginning of the 2021 campaign.
His partnership with Lando Norris was expected to light up the grid as the Woking-based side pushed to work their way into title contention having ended the 2020 season third in the championship.
Ultimately though, Ferrari went into the season with a better car as they wound up third ahead of their Papaya counterparts, and Ricciardo would end the season 45 points behind Norris.
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The 33-year-old struggled to adapt to that car and its handling, and he was often out-performed by the Briton, who was able to deliver on a consistent basis.
Ricciardo did have some joy though, winning the Italian Grand Prix on a day that will live long in the memory for a McLaren team who had not won a race for nearly nine years up to that point.
Following more disappointment in 2022 though, the decision was made to end Ricciardo’s contract a year early, and he will be replaced by Alpine reserve, Oscar Piastri.
The Perth-born driver is now looking for another drive in 2022, and Chandhok hopes he gets one after a McLaren tenure that has not been representative of his talents.
“I’d like to see Daniel have another go at racing,” he told Express Sport.
“The last 18 months, for whatever reason, we didn’t see the real Daniel, I don’t know [why] and I don’t think he knows and I don’t think McLaren know, that’s a shame for all.
“They all went into it with the right intentions but for whatever reason it just hasn’t clicked for him at McLaren.”
As an eight-time race winner, Ricciardo has not lost any of his ability overnight, and his fellow former HRT driver does not want to see that wasted in a reserve role with Mercedes next year.
“It’s not like he forgot to drive after he left Red Bull because if you go back to 2020, that season he drove at Renault and he was brilliant,” explained Chandhok.
“He had some amazing qualifying and race performances there, he hasn’t gelled with the way McLaren have the car.
“I would like to see him [race next year], even if it means going to somewhere like Haas, who are not championship contenders, but they’ve shown this year on several occasions that the car is perfectly capable of scoring points.
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“Even in Zandvoort, Mick Schumacher made it to Q3, so the car’s got some speed in it and having an experienced driver like Daniel, who’s been with good teams, might be quite helpful for a team like Haas, who are still a young team.
“I’d like to see him racing. I feel like him being on the sidelines is a bit of a waste, I’d like to see him still racing.”
Ricciardo has been linked with a return to Alpine – Renault’s new guise – for next year, as well as potential moves to Haas and Williams.