Daniel Ricciardo confident "hunters" McLaren can take Ferrari fight to last race

Ricciardo, McLaren, Mexico — Photo: © LAT Images

São Paulo Grand Prix

Ricciardo confident "hunters" McLaren can take Ferrari fight to last race

McLaren is 14.5 points behind the Scuderia

Sam Hall

Sunday 14 November 2021 16:00

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Daniel Ricciardo is still confident of a last-race showdown with Ferrari for third in the constructors' title fight despite McLaren now becoming "the hunters".

Following Saturday's sprint event at the São Paulo Grand Prix, McLaren has slipped to 14.5 points adrift of the Scuderia after Carlos Sainz claimed a point for finishing third behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen in his Red Bull.

Ricciardo was one of the main losers in the sprint, falling three places from eighth to start today's grand prix 11th, although team-mate Lando Norris lines up fifth.

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Ferrari, though, has its pairing of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc starting third and sixth and in position to stretch its advantage further over McLaren.

"We've been in third most of the season, now they are, so let's see," said Ricciardo. "We'll be the hunters.

"I think it's going to go down to the last race. I do think we can take it back and come back in the fight.

"Obviously, Mexico wasn't great given the points swing. But I'm not concerned, we're still very much in it."

Ricciardo 'vulnerability' led to sprint woe

Of his difficult sprint, Ricciardo explained his failure to make the best choices at the start was largely to blame, with the Australian dropping two places in the opening exchanges.

"It was really just lane choice," Ricciardo added. "Basically, I did not pick the best lane or the best line to put myself in.

"The actual launch was alright but I chose to put myself on the inside and it just got a bit bottled up so cars were able to carry a bit more momentum on the outside.

“That left me a bit vulnerable because you’re then on the outside for [turn] two so I had to compromise the exit a bit there and that is where [Sebastian] Vettel got me as well.

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was poor decision making for the first lap, but it was decision making that was not the best."