McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has explained why he has given himself the title ‘Lord of the Streets’.
In 2018, Ricciardo cruised to victory at Monte Carlo. But it wasn’t the first time he would secure an emphatic victory.
The former Red Bull man is quite brilliant at street circuits. He won at Monaco for the first time in 2010, while has was racing in the Formula Renault 3.5 series. Since then, Ricciardo spoke about Macau and how it was the only street circuit he visited, six months before his win in 2010.
“Everyone talks about street circuits, especially when you’ve never done it. If you are a few seconds off the pace, in the first practice, panic not. I remember Macau, going back there. Trevor Carlin (Team Owner of Carlin Racing) he literally said, ‘If you’re four seconds from the fastest, that’s a good start’. I was eight tenths from P1 in the first session,” he recalled.
“That motivated me to be like a lord of the streets!” he added, chuckling to himself.
Ricciardo ended up performing very well in the street circuits. He admitted to liking the underdog mentality at these tracks. Even though he was sitting second in the championship at that time, nobody really expected him to do as well as he did.
Chance to taste victory again?
As F1 heads into Monaco this weekend, it is an ideal time for Ricciardo to reminisce. His Macau win put many selectors on notice. There were a few F1 scouts at the venue monitoring future talent. So a win in that Formula Renault 3.5 race obviously boosted his credentials. Since then, his career trajectory has only gone upwards.
At McLaren, he has a decent, albeit small chance of winning at Monaco. What’s for sure is that he will do his best to get McLaren a great result to give them the edge over Ferrari.
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