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Carlos Sainz spoke about the situation Daniel Ricciardo is currently facing in F1 regarding his 2023 seat. He says that he feels for Ricciardo, as in his eyes, the Australian is a great driver who got stuck in a car that he couldn't find comfortable enough to drive in.
Sainz believes that this is the bitter part of being an F1 driver: that it does not matter how they have performed earlier in their career, the only thing that matters is how they are currently performing. Speaking to Motorsport, the Spaniard said:
“No one remembers your good days, it only counts if you are half a second off in the last qualifying or the last season. And there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s how the sport rates us, it is how the sport treats us.”
Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by Oscar Piastri at McLaren in the upcoming season. Ever since the news broke, the Australian has been searching for a seat for himself, but the efforts have not yielded yet. Sainz has been in a similar situation, where he was replaced by Ricciardo at both Renault and McLaren, which is why he understands why the Australian is having to face such tough times.
Carlos Sainz sympathizes with Daniel Ricciardo
Carlos Sainz believes that F1 is extremely difficult for anyone who is losing a race. According to him, winning a race or scoring enough points for your team is consistently what gives you enough chances as your past performance doesn't matter.
The Ferrari driver said:
“When you win, you’re a hero: your best weekend and you’re the best driver in the world. No one is better than you. But then, when you are through a bad moment, it’s a sport that is very tough.”
He, however, also has a positive perspective on the same. If Daniel Ricciardo makes an astonishing comeback with a team, his poor time with McLaren will soon be forgotten. This, according to Sainz, is the reason one should always look forward to in the sport.
The Spaniard said:
“He might take a year off, he might not. But if he comes back in two years and he wins a race, no one remembers the two years with McLaren. This is why in F1 you always need to focus on the next race, because in the next race you can change everyone's impression.”
Daniel Ricciardo has had some of the most magnificent races that the sport has ever seen, which would have got him into one of the big teams. As Sainz said, however, the driver's current performance matters the most in F1. Although Haas and Williams have vacant seats, there have been speculations about Ricciardo taking a break in the 2023 season. He had earlier stated that he would rather not be on the grid at all than be with a slower team, and would make a stronger comeback in 2024.
