Daniel Ricciardo has enjoyed Ferrari battle as McLaren defeat labelled ‘a good thing’

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Defeat in McLaren’s quest to finish at the top of the midfield in the F1 constructors’ championship will be a good thing for the team in the long run, according to Daniel Ricciardo’s performance coach. Michael Italiano, who has worked with the Australian racer since the end of the 2017 season, said being beaten to third place by Ferrari will help to keep the team and its staff “accountable” as it progresses.

The titanic clashes between Mercedes and Red Bull and their respective star drivers Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have dominated the headlines this season.

But it’s far from the only battle that has been going on in F1 this season, with the other teams in the sport looking to prove what they can do.

Mercedes and Red Bull have, for a long time now, been the dominant forces in the sport. Ferrari’s constructors’ title in 2008 was the last time a version of one of those teams was denied – Brawn GP, which won in 2009, was a precursor to the modern-day Mercedes team.

The midfield battle has still been there to be won, though, with a lot of cash and pride at stake for the constructor which proves itself to be ‘best of the rest’.

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In 2020 it was McLaren, as their papaya cars pipped Renault and Racing Point – as those teams were named at the time – to third place on the final day.

This year it is almost mathematically certain to be Ferrari, who endured a torrid year in 2020 but have made up for it by opening a 38.5-point gap over McLaren heading into the last race of the season.

Just a few months ago McLaren looked on course to secure back-to-back third-placed finishes with Lando Norris starring and Ricciardo beginning to really get the hang of his car in his first season with the team.

But Ferrari introduced a new engine upgrade in the second half of the season which has proven to be the difference-maker, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz now regularly faster on race day.

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Ricciardo’s performance coach Italiano, who also runs his own online training platform MI Coaching, said it was disappointing to be overtaken in “a really healthy battle”.

But he was looking on the bright side and insisted that the team can turn it into a positive.

“I think it’s a good thing, to be honest,” he told Express Sport. “It keeps the team accountable, knowing that we can’t get comfortable in the position we are in.

“This sport is one of the most innovative sports in the world and, as you can see, come mid-August if upgrades are being made and you’re not on that same level or you’re not being that active, it just shows how quickly other teams can be better.

“I think that’s exciting, because if you’re not on it or not working hard enough then there are times where, mid-season, a team can really improve, which is what Ferrari have done.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing. I think it’s been a really healthy battle for third between McLaren and Ferrari – I’ve definitely enjoyed it and I’m sure Daniel has enjoyed battling the Ferraris as well.

“It’s one of those things where yes, it looks like they’ve pipped third from us which is disappointing because we would’ve like to be third. But it’s good to keep us accountable, keep working hard.

“What McLaren have been doing the last two or three years has been amazing from a trajectory point of view, so as long as they keep doing what they’re doing there’s no reason why we can’t be up there next year.”

Michael Italiano is Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 Performance Coach and the owner of MI Coaching. To find your individual training plan and begin your fitness journey, visit www.michaelitaliano.com.

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