Daniel Ricciardo’s Italian Grand Prix victory is “bad news” for Ferrari, according to Charles Leclerc.
Ricciardo and teammate Lando Norris scored a 1-2 finish at Monza, the first time any team has achieved the feat this season, and the first time since 2010 that McLaren drivers have filled the top two steps on the podium.
The result means McLaren has overtaken Ferrari in the hotly contested chase for third place in the constructors’ championship, with the difference between third and fourth worth millions of dollars at the end of the season.
It was Ricciardo’s first podium since joining McLaren, having endured a difficult start to the season where he was consistently outpaced by Norris.
But the win in Italy came through sheer pace rather than luck, with the Australian leading for much of the race.
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That’s what worries Leclerc, with Ferrari now facing a dual challenge from McLaren.
“I am very happy for Daniel, it is great to see him perform as he would have done last year,” Leclerc told Sky Sports.
“He is an incredible driver and it is great to see him back at 100 per cent.
“It’s true that he had a bad first part of the season. Even for us it was difficult seeing him struggling like that compared to Lando. And finally seeing him perform like the Daniel of the last few years like he did, it’s pleasant to see.
“But for us, it is bad news if he keeps performing like this. It is pushing us to try and be perfect every weekend and that is exactly what we will try to do in the next few weekends.”
The win means Ricciardo has earned a test in a 1984 NASCAR once driven by his hero, Dale Earnhardt.
The car is now owned by McLaren boss Zak Brown, who promised Ricciardo the drive when he scored his first podium for the team.
Ricciardo, however, joked that maybe he should get to keep the car after winning at Monza.
“Because it was always a podium, you get to drive it – we never talked about a win,” he said.
“I gave him my shoe that he drank out of, so maybe he gives me the car. It’s a good trade!”
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