Eagle-eyed Daniel Ricciardo fans were left furious at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday after picking up on a low blow during the television coverage.
Ricciardo endured one of his worst results of the season, finishing 17th at Zandvoort, 10 positions behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Prior to the race — won by Max Verstappen — a graphic labelled Ricciardo as “struggling again”, causing outrage among his fans on social media.
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The labels given to other drivers were more simple, making the pointed one given to Ricciardo stand out.
Fans described it as “disgusting” and “toxic”.
Meanwhile, another piece of footage from before the race may have hinted at what Ricciardo will do next year once his McLaren contract is torn up.
Ricciardo was seen talking to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and appeared to suggest that he’s considering taking 2023 off and returning in 2024.
While the whole discussion was inaudible, Ricciardo could be heard saying, “Take year off and come back in 2024” before stopping upon noticing the camera.
Ricciardo is being replaced at McLaren by fellow Australian Oscar Piastri while there are few attractive options left on the grid for next year.
This week, F1 travels back to Monza where Ricciardo won for McLaren last year.
“I’ll try to bring back last year’s magic,” Ricciardo said after the Dutch Grand Prix, where he was well off the pace.
“It was always going to be a tricky Sunday because of where we started and the nature of the track,” he said.
“The first few laps were not too bad. I think we made some places here and there but starting that far back its hard to make a big impression, you need a big difference to make some moves and overtakes.
“In clear air, it felt like I had a little bit of pace to use – but it didn’t always seem to last long. So, obviously another challenging weekend.”
