Метка: Daniel Ricciardo

Marko wanted Ricciardo out after Spanish GP, reveals Horner

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko wanted Daniel Ricciardo out of the RB seat after the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Christian Horner has revealed.

Ricciardo’s F1 career appears to be over after RB chiefs decided to replace him with Liam Lawson for the remainder of this campaign.

It brings to an end a hugely successful career for the Australian, who won eight races for the Red Bull and McLaren teams.

But while there has been some criticism aimed at Red Bull for not allowing Ricciardo to see out the season, Horner has offered some fresh insight into the battle he faced to even keep him in the RB seat up until now.

Speaking to the F1 Nation podcast in the wake of the RB driver shuffle, Horner said that Ricciardo’s exit had been triggered by a lack of consistency – that had already tested Marko’s patience earlier in the campaign.

“He [Ricciardo] started the season roughly, and then Miami was a weekend of two halves,” said Horner. “The Friday and Saturday morning was fantastic, and it looked like the Daniel of old defending against the Ferraris and out-driving the car.

“But then the Saturday afternoon and the Sunday were disastrous. So even around Barcelona, Helmut wanted him out of the car, and there was already a lot of pressure on him there.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“By the time we got to Montreal, it was actually dear old Jacques Villeneuve who got him properly wound up by giving him a hard time, and it definitely fired him up, because the way he drove the car that weekend, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and put together a very strong race weekend.

“So I did say [to Ricciardo] give Jacques a call every time every grand prix, for the rest of the year, because whatever he said, it definitely worked.”

Horner said Ricciardo’s fate was effectively sealed by him not hitting the peaks of form that his bosses wanted from him to show he deserved a return to the Red Bull squad.

Although Sergio Perez’s repeated frustrations left his position in doubt, Ricciardo never did enough to be an automatic candidate to slot in as replacement.

Horner added: “I’ve done my very best to buy him as much time in the car to allow him to deliver. Otherwise he would have been out of the car after Barcelona.

“All the drivers are under pressure to deliver, but the reason that Daniel was in that car was to get himself back into a position to ultimately be there to pick up the pieces if Checo didn’t deliver.

“The problem was they both had issues with form at varying times. Checo started the season very well, very strongly, and Daniel was struggling. And then, obviously, as Checo lost form, Daniel found a bit of form. But it was never compelling enough to say, ‘okay, we should switch the two drivers’.”

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Horner also explained that the decision to get Lawson racing immediately is all about ensuring Red Bull knows what the New Zealander is capable of as it weighs up what to do with Perez long term.

“We need answers for the bigger picture in terms of drivers,” said Horner. “With six races remaining, it’s the perfect opportunity to line Liam up alongside Yuki [Tsunoda] to see how he performs over the remaining six grands prix.”

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He added: “This goes beyond VCARB. It encompasses Red Bull Racing. Obviously, we’ve got a contract with Sergio for next year, but you’ve always got to have an eye out in terms of what comes next.

“And is that going to be Liam, or do we need to look outside the pool? Or will one of the other juniors step up in the fullness of time of this, like Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad.”

Watch: Why RB have Dropped Ricciardo for Lawson with Immediate Effect



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Is Daniel Ricciardo’s time in F1 up? Our writers have their say

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


His demeanour at the end of the Singapore GP — not to mention the rumours linking Liam Lawson with his seat — left F1 media in little doubt that the Marina Bay event could be Daniel Ricciardo’s final race.

But if that’s the case, is it fair or is Red Bull making the wrong decision?

Our writers offer their views.

His time in F1 is up — Ben Hunt

Sadly, despite being one for characters in Formula 1, I feel that it is time for Daniel Ricciardo to be demoted from RB in place of Liam Lawson and with immediate effect.

However, I will pick my words carefully, as while it looks as though this could be the end of his F1 career, it might not necessarily be as black and white as this being the end, for Sergio Perez is still in a precarious position.

I remember back to 2012 when I was in my first year covering F1 and it was a flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur and Ricciardo was sitting in economy class a few rows back from my seat. He was the same back then as he is now, a brilliant personality. Great fun. Always smiling.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

But I cannot help but think his career took a turn for the worse the moment he decided to quit Red Bull and join Renault for the 2019 season.

It was an altogether baffling decision. Having been burned by Renault, he had further poor form at McLaren and despite that win in Monza in 2021, has never really looked like ever recapturing the same form he had at Red Bull or indeed living up to his massive potential.

The smile has now gone, and with it too the passion and maybe the commitment needed to seriously compete in F1.

He left F1 off the back of being let go by McLaren in place of Oscar Piastri, citing that he needed some time on the sidelines to assess his future.

He returned to the championship at the expense of Nyck de Vries but in truth, I never really believed it would spark much success for I am pushed to think of any truly great comeback from someone who once turned their back on F1.

I remember that season he left McLaren in 2022, as he assessed his future he rode into the paddock at the US GP in Austin on the back of a horse. To me, he had fully checked out from F1.

That was on his terms. Now the decision is not his to make.

It makes sense to bring in Lawson — Ewan Gale

If this is Ricciardo’s exit from F1, then the sport will for sure be a poorer place in terms of personality. His effervescent persona has lit up the paddock for well over a decade now.

But F1 is a results business and it is fair to say that other than his victory for McLaren at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, we haven’t seen the best of Ricciardo since his move to Renault for the 2019 season.

The struggles that dogged his time with the Woking-based outfit which has now sprung to the top of F1 have never been overcome, even since returning to Red Bull — first as third driver and then with AlphaTauri/RB.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

Team-mate Tsunoda has outperformed him more regularly than not this term and Ricciardo has not been able to adequately improve, leaving him in his current position.

Lawson is rumoured to be taking over for the United States Grand Prix and if Ricciardo’s demeanour and interview answers on Sunday are anything to go by, that may well be a confirmed switch in the near future.

It’s a swap that makes perfect sense for Red Bull’s F1 operation. The pool of drivers it has at its disposal is arguably the weakest it has had — underlined by the fact no driver has been able to budge Sergio Perez from the parent team despite his struggles.

The New Zealander is certain to be on the grid next season anyway, with Ricciardo the most likely to give way, so why not give him time in the car? In an era where testing is limited to three days pre-season, limited filming days and the occasional Pirelli tyre test, a run at the end of the season would only be beneficial for Lawson to bed himself in with the team.

RB saw just what he could do when he stepped into the seat for five races last term when Ricciardo was sidelined, but further experience can only be a good thing for the man who is most likely to take over from Perez alongside Verstappen — whenever that is.

Where the car is at right now means that this isn’t a swap which will be with points in mind. It’s a necessity for Red Bull’s F1 operation and its future at a time when most of its stability has already been lost.

Ricciardo doesn’t deserve mid-season exit — Sam Hall

Formula 1 is a sport and a business which we are often told has no room for sentiment, and the decision to axe Ricciardo mid-season is proof of this beyond doubt.

An unquestionable fan favourite and one of the most likeable personalities within the paddock, the Australian has done more than most to be deserving of a fitting send-off.

Yes, his results this season have done little to stake his case for a seat in 2025, but have they been tragically poor enough to warrant the ignominy of a mid-season ejection? No.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Although 10 points shy of Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo’s form since the Canadian Grand Prix has in fact trended higher than his team-mate, so the harsh nature of a results-based industry cannot be to blame.

It must be conceded that there is some logic in looking towards the future and evaluating the talent that you have within the pool, but is this not something that could be achieved – as every other team manages – by testing older machinery and using the simulator?

To Ricciardo, and while I agree that this season should be his last – something which genuinely hurts to say – there is no reason why he should be kicked into touch with only the fanfare given to him by the media.

If the Singapore Grand Prix transpires to have been his last outing, then RB and Red Bull should have rolled out the red carpet and made a big thing about Ricciardo, showcased his achievements, and shown publicly how much he has been a valued member of both teams.

More than this, it would have given the fans the opportunity to properly say goodbye, rather than scrolling social media indefinitely, just waiting for the final nail to be hammered off the stage into the coffin of his F1 career.

With a poor car and a grasp on strategy that appears to have come straight from the Ferrari pitwall of old, there is a limit to what can be achieved at RB this year. And with Haas just three points behind in the constructors’, this change could come at a hefty cost.

Red Bull’s Ricciardo gamble hasn’t paid off, but it is cutting its losses – Haydn Cobb

When Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 return was announced last year to replace the flat-lining Nyck de Vries, he was put in to get his mojo back, to try to discover the Daniel of old. It was a gamble but Red Bull was hedging its bets.

And when he was retained for 2024, picked over Liam Lawson, to continue that mojo-recapturing journey and be an option to replace Sergio Perez if the Mexican failed to deliver, there was a clear plan.

But after the opening eight rounds of this season and just five points to his name – a commendable fourth place in the Miami sprint – he was being thoroughly outperformed by Tsunoda, the writing was on the wall.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

When Red Bull decided to stick with Perez over the summer break and not twist on an alternative, there was no denying project Ricciardo was aborted.

If Red Bull is true to its cutthroat approach, particularly those in the RB/AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso squad, the Australian could have considered himself lucky to return from his summer holidays with his name still at the top of the team’s garage.

Since then, four races with no points and no sign of the Ricciardo of old, those performances have seemingly made up the minds of the Red Bull bosses. Adding to the fact Red Bull hasn’t been able to find a temporary alternative home for Lawson, and risked losing its best junior at the end of the year due to contract clauses, it means cutting its losses with Ricciardo and putting it all on red with Lawson is set to be the right decision.

Sure, as my colleagues have eloquently summed up, F1 without Ricciardo is a poorer place and the paddock will miss its smiling joker, while he deserved a better send-off than what he looks set to have been given in Singapore. Thoughts and prayers with Drive to Survive’s production team at this time too; first Guenther Steiner, now this.

As much as it’ll hurt all involved, Ricciardo’s body language and words over the weekend showed both he and Red Bull know when it is time to cut your losses and walk away from the table.



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Ricciardo in “much happier place” over uncertain F1 future than 2022 McLaren exit

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Daniel Ricciardo admits there is a real chance he will not drive in Formula 1 again – but is more “at peace” with a potential exit than he was two years ago.

Reports leading into the Singapore Grand Prix suggested the Australian’s position at RB was in the balance depending on his performance at the Marina Bay Circuit, with reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

A disappointing display after a failed gamble to start on the soft tyre left Ricciardo to finish 18th, lamenting that “the fairytale ending didn’t happen”, although his fastest lap sparked controversy after it took a point away from race winner Lando Norris in the McLaren driver’s title fight with Max Verstappen.

An emotional Ricciardo insisted after the race that he departs Singapore feeling better than he did following his exit from McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, when he lost his seat to rookie compatriot Oscar Piastri.

Ricciardo was left without a drive until his return with RB during its previous guise as AlphaTauri to replace the struggling Nyck de Vries for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, ostensibly to gauge his viability for a return to Red Bull alongside Verstappen.

“I tried to obviously enjoy it [the Singapore Grand Prix weekend], a little bit like the end of ’22 with McLaren,” reflected Ricciardo.

“Obviously I was aware maybe that was my last race, so I tried to enjoy that.

“I think I’m in a much happier place now in the sport than I was then. So if this is it, let’s say I have a little bit more peace and I’m proud of the career.”

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

These remarks followed Ricciardo’s admission that “there is a realistic chance that it’s not going to happen” when asked if he would be at the United States Grand Prix next time out.

Ricciardo said he was “prepared for it” to be the end of his F1 career, which began with the now-defunct HRT team in 2011.

The eight-time grands prix winner became the 10th most experienced driver in F1 history in Singapore, his 257th start surpassing the tally of Riccardo Patrese.

“It’s been a very race-by-race situation with Red Bull I think for all of us in a way, obviously Checo [Sergio Perez] as well,” reflected Ricciardo. “And at times it feels like it’s going one way, then it goes the other.

“Obviously there was a lot of emphasis on this weekend, and I would have loved a better weekend — who knows if that would have changed anything, or if the decision’s been made already, even prior to the weekend.

“I’m obviously prepared for it and that’s why I think over the weekend just tried to acknowledge a few things as well with myself. And I think acknowledged also why I came back into the sport.

“Sometimes you’ve got to see a big picture and I always said, ‘I don’t just want to be a guy that’s here on the grid and fighting for a point every now and then’, which has kind of been how this year’s gone.”



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McLaren wants review of Red Bull/RB relationship after «peculiar» Ricciardo fastest lap

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McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has called for the relationship between Red Bull and RB to be “addressed” after Daniel Ricciardo’s “peculiar” fastest lap at the Singapore Grand Prix stole a point away from race winner Lando Norris.

With McLaren dominant around Marina Bay, Norris was looking at taking eight points out of Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the drivers’ championship, having set the fastest time on lap 48.

However, that extra point was lost as Ricciardo, running at the back of the field in what increasingly appears to be his last race in Formula 1, came into the pits for a fresh set of soft tyres and went almost half a second quicker than Norris’ best effort on his final lap.

Ricciardo does not get a point as he finished outside the top 10 but, with the McLaren now clearly the fastest car on the grid, everything could count as Norris aims to close a 52-point gap to Red Bull’s Verstappen in the final six rounds of the season.

While Stella did not outright accuse Red Bull and its sister team of collusion in Singapore, he said a more long-term discussion might be required about the closeness of the two squads.

“This is a big matter. You know, as soon as you invoke the sportsmanship, I think you need to approach this with a sense of responsibility, that I want to have,” he said when asked about the call.

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team

Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“I don’t know the facts. I just saw that RB went for the fastest lap, and they achieved it. But for me, here, talk about sportsmanship and so on, I think… it would be out of place. So I think we have to take it at face value.

“They scored the fastest lap, and potentially as part of a longer-term conversation, we need to put the sport in a position in which, at any stage — being it trackside or being it factory-side — teams behave in a totally autonomous manner, because this is a constructors’ championship.

“This needs to be definitely addressed. But at no point I have elements now to say RB went for the fastest lap to support the Red Bull. I just find it a little… how to say… peculiar. I did not see it coming.

“I was a little surprised that the highest priority of RB racing in Singapore was to go and score the fastest lap of the race. I think we just have to work harder to make sure that this [championship] doesn’t come down to a point.

“At the same time, I have so much sympathy, support and friendship with Daniel that I’m just happy that he may add this fastest lap to his track record.”

Norris said the two teams made a “smart play” in securing the fastest lap for former McLaren team-mate Ricciardo, admitting it was the “logical thing” to do.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner would not be drawn on the situation and said it was up to RB to explain their reasoning, although Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez revealed the team had considered pitting him to aim for the fastest time.

“I don’t know what happened there. I think the team was discussing it…so I think in the end we decided to stay as it was decided anyway. I think the team was thinking about it but in the end it didn’t happen,” he concluded.

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble and Ronald Vording

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Ricciardo can reflect on F1 career «anyone could dream of»

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Max Verstappen has praised Daniel Ricciardo as the Australian prepares to learn whether he will remain in Formula 1 for next season.

Red Bull is expected to make a decision on whether Ricciardo, 35, will be retained by its sister team RB for next season and continue to partner Yuki Tsunoda.

Liam Lawson is also in contention for the seat after he impressed filling in for Ricciardo last year when he was ruled out with a broken wrist.

Ricciardo is understood to have the full support of Red Bull boss Christian Horner. However, the Australian has been unable to repay that faith with performances on track.

When asked about the predicament Ricciardo now faces, Verstappen gave a cryptic response that sounded vaguely like a goodbye speech for the eight-time GP winner.

Speaking on Thursday in Singapore about the driver he spent three years racing alongside at Red Bull in 2016-18, he said: «Daniel is a great guy, I think he has proven himself as a great Formula 1 driver.

«He’s a friend of mine. And being in this kind of position is never nice.

«But on the other end, I don’t think he has to feel sorry for himself.

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«Sometimes things maybe don’t work out the way you want them in certain stages of your career, but you still have achieved a lot more than anyone could ever dream of in their lives.

«So even if this is, let’s say, the last race or whatever, you can still look back at something amazing that not many people can achieve and do something else.

«I mean, why not? [There are] many more race series or not. Maybe just chill back at the farm, have a lot of fun.

«He’s a great guy. So for me, it doesn’t really matter or not if you deserve to be here. A lot of people deserve to be here.

«Some don’t deserve to be here, that’s life in all kinds of sports. It’s how it goes.»

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Meanwhile Ricciardo has said he has been unable to show his true potential in races since he returned to F1 with RB after being let go after a disappointing run at McLaren.

He said: «I don’t wish to be in the middle, for sure. But obviously, I look back at my year and yes, if you asked me in January, ‘how do you think a year is going to go?’ I would have said, ‘I expect it to have gone better than this’.

«But it’s not through, lack of anything really, I really felt like I put everything into it this year.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«And, okay, sometimes the result doesn’t come out the way you wish or hope or doesn’t always translate to maybe the effort you put in. But that’s sport.

«I’m always going to look myself in the mirror and try to be as critical as possible. And I wish I’d found some more consistency this year.

«But honestly, getting back into the sport after the McLaren period, I was more just looking for speed and proving to myself that I could still run at the front with these guys.

«And there have been moments of that.

«Obviously, I wish I could produce it every weekend, but if I take a little bit of heat away from myself, I think it’s also hard to do in a midfield battle.»



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Tsunoda has everything to make next step in F1

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Daniel Ricciardo reckons his RB Formula 1 team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has the ability to succeed in Formula 1, and believes the Japanese driver simply needs to prove he can execute when winning opportunities come his way.

Tsunoda has proven himself as RB’s de facto team leader over 2024, his fourth season in F1, but has been overlooked by Red Bull’s management as it considered Liam Lawson and Daniel Ricciardo as options to replace Sergio Perez at the lead operation.

Regardless, he has matured over the past two seasons and has subsequently delivered strong results for the AlphaTauri/RB squad despite 2023’s struggles with uncompetitive machinery.

Ricciardo now believes that Tsunoda is being looked upon much more favourably, noting his growing maturity and consistency over their year as team-mates.

«I think now he’s definitely getting probably the credit that he deserves,» Ricciardo stated in an exclusive interview with Autosport.

«Probably a lot of people still think about his first year where he made a lot of mistakes, and it felt like his adjustment into Formula 1, it just felt like maybe he couldn’t really adjust and it was all a bit too much.

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Yuki Tsunoda, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«[In 2021 and 2022, Pierre] Gasly was consistently beating him, but then I remember the second half of that year, he actually started to probably have a better showing than Gasly.

«He’s definitely grown a lot in the last couple of years. So yes, he’s fast. Do I rate him? I do. He’s probably become a bit more aware of his attitude as well. I think he’s doing a really good job.»

Discussing Tsunoda’s prospects of delivering in the event that he ends up in a position with frontrunning machinery, Ricciardo felt that it was difficult to show that in advance — but reckoned that Tsunoda just needed to make the most of his ability.

The Australian compared that with Lando Norris’ attempts to win in 2021 and suggested the Briton did not have the experience to make it work out back then.

«I think [Tsunoda has] grown a lot in the last few years, and I think is showing some really good pace and skill,» he added. «I think he’s showing more consistency now.

«You just don’t know what happens when it’s the next [level], and I even look back at Lando in Monza. I won, he was second. The next race he was on pole, he was leading.

«In that moment the experience and the composure of Lewis [Hamilton] won him that race and lost Lando the race. Maybe three years ago, that was maybe a little bit too much for Lando.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M , Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL35M , Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

«You just don’t know until you’re in that position if someone can really do it. We’ve all got the speed, but it’s like when the lights are fully turned up, who can still make those decisions and stay most composed.

«Yuki has to answer that in due time, but my answer is definitely not no. I do think he’s got the ability, but that part is up to him.»

Gasly, who partnered Tsunoda at AlphaTauri in 2021-22, understood his frustrations to be overlooked by Red Bull — and said that he had offered his former stablemate some sage advice.

«I always said Yuki is very fast. I’ve seen it. He’s been proving it the last couple of seasons and he’s going to keep proving it,» Gasly said.

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«So obviously it can be quite frustrating for him. But I talked with him about this, we’ve had the conversations and I know he wants more and feels like he deserves more.

«I’ve been in a similar position to him in the past and what I kind of say, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing, as long as you’re competitive, you’ll be given the right spot at some point’.

«But it’s not an easy position to be in. Personally, I would have liked to see him getting a shot at Red Bull — but I’m not Helmut Marko.»

Additional reporting by Oleg Karpov



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RB updates haven’t cured high-speed F1 car weakness

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Daniel Ricciardo has conceded RB still has to work on finding a solution to its Formula 1 car’s weaknesses despite adding upgrades at the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

The Australian has rediscovered his form in recent outings, picking up three points finishes in the last six races after initially struggling to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

His struggles early in the season led to suggestions that he could be replaced at the team, with Liam Lawson waiting on the sidelines following his impressive cameo last season, but Ricciardo’s improvement also put him in the frame to take over from Sergio Perez at Red Bull.

Neither scenario has played out after Red Bull’s summer break review and Ricciardo has remained focused on his task in hand, which ended before the break with an 11th place finish at Spa.

This became a points-paying position when Mercedes’ George Russell was disqualified from the race for an underweight car.

It was a reward for RB, which added updates to the car for the weekend as it aims to close the gap to the front of the midfield battle, continuing a four-race scoring streak between its two drivers to consolidate sixth spot in the constructors’ table.

But addressing the changes made to the machinery, Ricciardo suggested work still needs to be done with inherent issues still persisting.

«I still feel like our strengths are in a little bit more the lower speed stuff and our weaknesses are a bit more in the real quick stuff,» he explained.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«I think real high speed we still got to work on a bit, but all the kind of tighter, twistier stuff we seem to be alright.

«So yeah, probably same characteristics, just now load is our friend so maybe I’ll put on some weight over the break, and that’ll help.»

Speaking before Russell’s disqualification was announced, Ricciardo admitted that «I didn’t really know my position during the race» but believed he would be on for a shot at points until Alpine’s Esteban Ocon caught and overtook him late on.

«I really thought we would have ended up in the points,» he said.

«When I had Ocon behind me, that’s when I knew I was 10th and I was like, ‘Oh, I really thought I was maybe ninth’. ‘Cos I knew that holding him off was gonna be tricky.

«He was strong all weekend. And also, he just came out on a fresher tyre.

«I think we had a really good race, I just think some other drivers also had a really good race.»



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RB facing “shifting point” moment in F1 season

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Daniel Ricciardo says RB faces a critical moment that could dictate how the rest of its season pans out amid doubts about its recent Formula 1 upgrade.

The Faenza-based squad introduced a major update at the Spanish Grand Prix that it hoped would push it clear of its midfield rivals.

However, the changes – which included a new floor, rear wing and bodywork – left the team struggling for pace and confused about where its problems were coming from.

Recent races have been focused on isolating which of the new parts work and which are troublesome – with elements of its new rear wing in particular having caused some issues.

But with F1’s recent triple-header now over, and there being some breathing space before the final back-to-backs prior to the summer break, Ricciardo thinks that decisions made now about its next steps could be hugely significant for the rest of the campaign.

“This could be a real kind of shifting point,” said Ricciardo, when asked how important it was for RB to get an understanding of its upgrade situation.

“You’re at that moment where you need to make the best calls. Every moment of F1 is important, but this update and our correlation, and our understanding, can obviously dictate what we do with the next update and how well we understand it.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“What we learn now will basically dictate where our car is in October and November, so it’s a really important period for us.”

Ricciardo said that, while he was now reliant on RB’s technical department making the right decisions, it was essential that he provided them with as much information as possible to help them understand what is happening with the car.

“I’m obviously not an engineer and not an aerodynamicist,” he said. “But in these moments, I feel our duty as a driver is to just give as much as we can.

“Feelings, feedbacks, positives, negatives, comparisons to other cars, everything — just to give them as much understanding of why we are where we are at the moment.

“I throw a lot on the table and just say: ‘you guys deal with it.’ But yeah, it’s obviously a little bit like that. We have to just put it all out there.

“Hopefully they can understand it and the simulator stuff as well, what we feel on the sim, and just try to correlate that to the real car.

“It’s a team effort. But yeah, there’s a little bit for us to go [through] from these last three weeks.”

The need for RB to not lose momentum on its season with the upgrades is made even more important by the fact that rival Haas is making successful gains with its car.

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Back-to-back sixth-placed finishes for Nico Hulkenberg have lifted Haas to within fourth points of RB for sixth overall in the constructors’ championship.

Asked about which team had surprised him the most in recent races, Ricciardo said: “Definitely Haas the last couple of weekends.

“Nico’s scored big two weekends in a row now, and all of a sudden our sixth place in the constructors, the gap isn’t there anymore. It’s three or four points.

“We know this sport can shift so quickly, and you never rest and that’s why, in fairness to the team, we brought updates a couple of weeks ago, we were pushing, we’ve been bringing updates every few races, and they’ve [mostly] actually been working really well.

“This one hasn’t as much as certainly we would have wanted. But it’s not due to lack of effort.

“This is now where you get tested: where the season was looking really good — and now it’s at a kind of plateau. We have to make that right step.

“It’s not about throwing tables around the room. Of course, people are frustrated, but this is all about being constructive and trying to keep everyone together. It’s also motivational.

“You see Haas. They’ve obviously found something, so there is lap time there. There are things that we can find. So, we have got to make sure we find them.”



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Ricciardo performance in F1 Miami sprint «had been coming»

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Ricciardo endured a tough start to the 2024 season, being outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in the opening race while struggling to get comfortable aboard the VCARB01.

The Australian’s difficulties dashed the momentum of him being considered for a 2025 Red Bull seat, but in recent races, he has been working his way back to competitiveness.

In Miami, Ricciardo qualified and finished fourth in Saturday’s sprint to score his first points of the year, employing a stout defence against intrinsically quicker cars over the 19-lap contest.

Team principal Mekies said that performance didn’t come out of the blue as Ricciardo had been making improvements in recent races without a result to show for it.

«I’m sure it was a huge weight [off his shoulders] because the US is nearly his second home race,» Mekies told Autosport.

«He did it in style with an incredible defence to Carlos [Sainz] and the McLaren [of Oscar Piastri]. It was a fantastic moment for him.
Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

«In fairness, we had seen signs of improvement before, but it was very difficult to explain it to the world.

«Saudi was a better performance than Bahrain, Australia was better than Saudi, Japan was better than Australia and China was better than Japan.

«It had been coming in many, many small steps and we think there is more steps we can do in the next few races to help suit the car better to him.»

When asked if there was a definitive answer on why he struggled, Mekies said: «Let’s just say that we identified stuff he was not happy with and took away quite a lot of the speed.

«We have tried to tick all the boxes to erase these limitations and there are a few more we would like to see ticked over the next few weekends.

«It was always planned to introduce a new chassis before race six. It was a nice box to tick on our issues with Daniel to make him more comfortable and he did better straight away in China and Miami.

«It’s a big value for a team to be able to understand and analyse what is happening with the drivers and it’s not always visible on the data.

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Daniel Ricciardo, RB F1 Team VCARB 01, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

«We are still trying to understand what it is that was disturbing him before, and it’s a work in progress.»

Ricciardo endured a much tougher main grand prix, being eliminated from Q1 in 18th and finishing in a train in 15th. According to Mekies, that swing of results shows how easy it is to be bumped out of a tight midfield pack if drivers or teams get the tiniest thing wrong.

«You have to nail every single aspect of the weekend at a top level. If we don’t do it, we are out of Q1 straight away,» he explained.

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«We had a fantastic performance with Daniel in the sprint quali and in the sprint itself. And then in the main quali, we were a little bit out of the tyre window, a little bit of a mistake there, and suddenly you’re out and that’s the reality.

«That’s what I like about racing. It’s 10 or 12 cars fighting, but it’s certainly a very intense pressure on the team.»



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