Daniel Ricciardo’s start to life at McLaren was atrocious as he struggled to align his preference for late braking with what the MCL35M needed to be strong at corner entry.
When Lando Norris had to be waved past and then disappeared at Imola, the initial gulf between them was revealed.
But Ricciardo rallied, allying all the simulator work he and his engineers had completed with a summer-break trip to LA to reset and recharge. His confidence with the car improved considerably, and when McLaren had its chance at Monza he nailed it.
PLUS: The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver the goods for McLaren
There were later lows – such as tagging Valtteri Bottas in Mexico, which wasn’t as bad as it looked – but he closed the intra-team gap.
