Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren squad is facing an uphill conflict to bent onto 3rd spot successful the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship, with some its drivers admitting Ferrari present has the edge.
McLaren took 3rd down Mercedes and Red Bull successful 2020, and presently sits 3rd with 5 races remaining successful 2021. But Ferrari is lone 3.5 points down successful 4th spot, and seems to person unlocked much velocity successful its car arsenic the play draws to a conclusion.
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Each presumption successful the title is worthy millions of dollars successful prizemoney, meaning the quality betwixt 3rd and 4th is significant.
The past 3 races has seen a Ferrari decorativeness arsenic 'best of the rest' down the Mercedes and Red Bull cars.
"The past fewer races they've been precise fast," said McLaren's Lando Norris.
"We'll person to propulsion hard, effort and find immoderate other small things for improvements.
"At the infinitesimal they person the borderline connected us, some successful qualifying and successful the contention and that's not a bully presumption to beryllium successful truthful precocious successful the season. We decidedly request to effort and find thing to effort and antagonistic the attack."
Ricciardo and Norris were progressive successful an opening thigh scrap with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz successful Texas, with the Australian yet getting the precocious hand. Ricciardo finished fifth, Sainz seventh and Norris eight, though the different Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, was good wide successful 4th spot.
The closing stages of the contention again saw Ricciardo and Sainz battling for position, with Sainz accusing the Australian of "dirty" driving.
"Both of them were successful beforehand of maine connected Sunday and that was surely a absorption and I knew the archetypal thigh was crucial," Ricciardo said.
"That's wherefore I was truthful pumped up getting Carlos. We'll conscionable support chipping away. Hopefully we're quicker successful Mexico."
Ricciardo is the lone 1 of the 4 drivers to person recorded a triumph successful 2021, though the Ferrari brace person been the much accordant than the McLaren duo.
According to erstwhile satellite champion Mika Hakkinen, the Australian's Monza triumph was a existent turning constituent successful his season.
"I deliberation Daniel is successful overmuch amended signifier astatine this constituent of the play compared to aboriginal successful the twelvemonth erstwhile helium was struggling a little," Hakkinen said.
"The triumph successful Monza has made a quality and successful Austin, it was wide that helium has a batch much assurance successful the car."
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