Ricciardo eyes “weekend to remember” at 200th F1 GP in Belgium

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to make the Belgian Grand Prix “a weekend to remember” as the McLaren driver celebrates his 200th Formula 1 grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Connor McDonagh

25 Aug 2021

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) McLaren.
© xpbimages.com

Ricciardo made his F1 debut back at the 2011 British Grand Prix for the HRT outfit.

He spent two years at Toro Rosso before being chosen as Mark Webber’s replacement for 2014 at Red Bull.

Five successful seasons at Red Bull saw Ricciardo take seven wins, with a best championship finish of third in 2014 and 2016.

Ricciardo moved to Renault for 2019 and 2020, and then McLaren in place of Carlos Sainz for this season alongside Lando Norris.

The Australian has endured a very difficult 2021 campaign, struggling to adapt to the unique characteristics of McLaren’s MCL35M.

Looking ahead to his 200th GP weekend, Ricciardo said: “After a few weeks away from Formula 1, I'm looking forward to going racing again at Spa, which is an awesome circuit. It’s the perfect track to come back to with its high-speed sections and dramatic elevation changes. I’ve been back to work in the simulator at the factory this week in preparation for the weekend and I'm ready to get back at it.”

“This is also a special weekend for me as I prepare to line up for my 200th grand prix. If you’d have told me back at Silverstone in 2011, when I made my debut, that I'd hit 200 grands prix, I'd certainly have been very excited about it. It’s really a cool milestone to hit and definitely one that I'm proud of. I’ll be doing everything I can to make it a weekend to remember.”

McLaren sits fourth in the constructors’ championship, level on points with Ferrari.

Team boss Andreas Seidl says this race is not only an important milestone for Ricciardo but McLaren in the race for third.

“This grand prix weekend is a special moment for Daniel and the team, as we celebrate his 200th Grand Prix,” Seidl added.

“To reach this milestone is a really significant achievement and proves the level of experience he’s gained over his 10-year career. He joins an elite club of drivers in passing 200 Grands Prix, and we look forward to celebrating the weekend with him,” Seidl added. “We’re currently in an intense battle with our closest rivals in the constructors’ championship and we know we’ll need to hit the ground running in Spa to keep up the pressure.”