Daniel Ricciardo says that getting on top of the issues that McLaren has suffered in the early stages of the 2022 Formula 1 season will not happen “overnight”.
McLaren endured a difficult opening round in Bahrain, walking away from the grand prix without scoring any points, while it also appeared to lack pace in qualifying trim.
In a more positive showing in Saudi Arabia last weekend, Lando Norris finished seventh, but Ricciardo was forced to retire with a mechanical problem.
Norris has stated that McLaren’s “one big problem” in 2022 is a lack of downforce, which Ricciardo asserts can’t be solved rapidly.
“There has to be [light at the end of the tunnel], you know,” Ricciardo said. “That’s what we work towards.
“And we’ll keep working towards it until we get to see the light, if you will. I think it’s going to be a bit of a process now. It’s not an overnight change.
“It’s not a change that can happen in the space of a week. But I think we have some kind of bigger changes to address to get us in a, let’s say, top five position.
“But that’s what we have to work harder now than ever for to get there. So at some point, we’ll get there.”
After the opening two rounds of the 2022 campaign, McLaren sits eighth in the Constructors’ Championship.
The team has ended the previous three F1 seasons within the top four in the standings.
