Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I muri i nga tau e rua i te Renault F1 Team, ka uru atu a Ricciardo ki a McLaren mo te 2021 Formula One World Championship hei whakakapi mo Carlos Sainz Jr. nana nei i haina he kirimana maha-tau ki a Ferrari. Ko tana hoa kapa mo te tau 2021 ko Lando Norris, i tiakina e te roopu. Mo tana kirimana hou, i whakaae a Ricciardo i mua i tana hainatanga ki a McLaren i korero ia ki a Ferrari mo te tango i te nohoanga o Sebastian Vettel engari i hainatia e Ferrari a Sainz. I muri mai ka eke ia ki te 7th i te whakatuwheratanga o te tau 2021 i Bahrain, i te mea kua eke ki te 6th. I te whakataetae e whai ake nei,
2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, i mutu ia i te tuaono, i te mea kua eke ano ia ki te tuunga ano. I te whakataetae tuatoru o te wa i Portugal, i raru a Ricciardo i te putanga ohorere i te tohu, i peia mai i te Q1 ka tiimata te whakataetae mai i te 16th. I te wa o te whakataetae i mahi ia i tana ara i roto i te mara ka mutu i te tuunga tohu-tohu i te tuaiwa, ka awhina i a McLaren ki te pupuri i te tuatoru o nga waahi i roto i te whakataetae kaihanga. I te Spanish Grand Prix, i eke a Ricciardo ki te tuawhitu, engari i eke ki te tuarima i te huringa tuatahi. I tiakina e ia te tuarima mai i te taraiwa Red Bull a Sergio Pérez tae noa ki te huringa 45, i taea ai e Pérez te haere i te takahuri 1. I mutu ia i te tuaono, e tohu ana i te wa tuatahi i te wa i mutu ai ia i mua o Norris.