There was no sugar-coating Daniel Ricciardo's mediocre performance in the US Grand Prix, and the McLaren driver knew it, describing his race as the story of his 2022 season.
Ricciardo's run to P16 was relatively straight-forward, with no specific setbacks or circumstances to mitigate the dismal outcome or justify a 37-second gap to teammate Lando Norris at the checkered flag.
"I have no idea what to say," offered a desolate Ricciardo after all was said and done.
"Honestly, it’s just 2022. When you think it can’t get worse, it does.
"That’s where I don’t know, I don’t know how I’m continuing to continue because [to say] it’s painful is an understatement.
"[On the] year as a whole, last year was a struggle but now I look back at last year and think ‘oh, last year was actually pretty good compared to this one’.
"So I’m choosing to laugh because I don’t really want to cry. I still am going to do what I can in the last three [races].
"I’m at a point where I’m not going to hope or think or expect it’s going to be an amazing last three races. Days like today leave you feeling a bit helpless."
Ricciardo attempted to pinpoint his weakness in Austin on a chronic lack of grip of his MCL36.
"I couldn’t really push the car like I could see the others around me doing, so it was just a struggle.
"Obviously, days like this are pretty painful to try to deal with and understand as we put a lot of effort in but didn’t get rewarded."
It was another race, another under-performance and another "mystery" for the departing McLaren driver.
"It’s been the year that it’s been," Ricciardo added. "Just so far off the pace, I simply can’t lean on [the car], I can’t push, can’t get the time out of it,’ he said.
"The inconsistency through the lap times, it shows that it really is a struggle, but to have such a really big margin again, it remains a mystery.
"I love Texas, I love Austin, but that race was not enjoyable for me."
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