Daniel Ricciardo wants to feel like he “contributed” towards McLaren’s continued resurgence in Formula 1 this season.
The Australian has had a tricky time settling in at the Woking-based team, but in Spain, started to show signs he was finding his feet as he finished ahead of teammate Lando Norris in the race for the first time in sixth.
Ricciardo’s decision to join McLaren from Renault means he is racing for a third different team in four years since leaving Red Bull at the end of 2018.
And he is hopeful that his latest new chapter will prove to the fairytale ending to his career.
“Obviously I’ve done a bit of moving around the last few years,” Ricciardo told F1’s YouTube channel as he reflected on 10 years on the grid. “It’s not something I want to continue doing or plan on doing.
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“It’s stressful and actually hard work so I feel like this team has already laid out a very nice foundation.
“If I can build on what I can already see that they’ve got and personally achieve all of my goals here, then I think we can fight for a world title, hopefully already as soon as next year.”
That optimism stems from rule changes that have already been introduced, such as the budget cap, and the all-new cars that will be introduced in 2022.
“I really hope the s*** hits the fan in a good way,” he added of next year in a separate interview with Square Mile. “It really should do on paper – everyone’s best chance to challenge Lewis and Mercedes.”
As for this year, McLaren finds themselves fighting a familiar foe in Ferrari for the third-best team and Ricciardo hopes the progress made in recent years continues.
“I definitely want to get my own name on some of the trophies in the MTC,” the 31-year-old said of his 2021 expectations.
“That’s one aim and I also really want to look back on the year and know that I have made a difference within this team.
“The team has created something pretty awesome, particularly in the last 24 months, and I really want to feel like I’ve contributed to that and ride the wave that they are on.
“But I want to do some of the weightlifting and maybe say ‘alright, this team has made another step because of my input, my drive and my determination.”
