Brown on open criticism of Ricciardo: 'I just gave an honest answer'

Zak Brown stresses that he has 'just been honest' in his comments about Daniel Ricciardo. The team boss says the team is getting on well with the Australian and that the trust is still there.

A few weeks ago, Brown openly stated that Ricciardo will have to perform better to keep his seat at McLaren. The McLaren team boss even takes an early departure of the driver into account. It is therefore clear that the Australian is under pressure now that he's being beaten by teammate Lando Norris for the second season.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia, Brown says he just wanted to be honest. “They asked the question and I just gave an honest answer. I think Daniel has said the same thing. We’re here to try and get towards the front.”

Confidence in Ricciardo's present

"We’ve got a great relationship. Daniel has shown, like he did in Monza last year, when we give him a car that suits his driving style and has pace that he’s going to go out and lead laps and win a race. I think we need to have a car that’s a little bit more performant and user friendly, and he’ll get the job done", says Brown.

Brown admits McLaren has delivered very little this season. At the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, zero points were scored. The team is far off the pace of title rivals Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, as well as Mercedes.