RB has faced setbacks in scoring points during the initial two rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Despite this, Daniel Ricciardo remains optimistic about the team’s potential turnaround in Melbourne.
Ricciardo expresses hope for RB’s performance at the Australian Grand Prix, particularly as it marks his return to his home race for the first time since 2022. Last year, he missed the event due to his tenure with Red Bull, before being promoted mid-season.
The team encountered difficulties in securing points in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia during the campaign’s opening stages. Ricciardo himself faced challenges in the previous race in Jeddah, enduring a demanding event characterized by a prolonged pit stop and a late-race spin. Additionally, he noted “inconsistencies” in the team’s car setup.
Despite these setbacks, Ricciardo maintains his confidence that the upcoming race in Australia will present a more promising opportunity for the Red Bull sister team.
“My approach is maybe this track suits us more than the last track,” he said. “These things can also be very track-dependent. You kind of know most of the time where the fast cars are and that”
Ricciardo cited the Mexico City Grand Prix from the previous year as a prime illustration of how the dynamics of performance can dramatically shift within the span of a single weekend.
“I mention it a lot, but Mexico last year, we were last in the Constructors’ [Championship] at the time and I qualified fourth,” he stated.
“Coming into that weekend, no one would have ever expected that. You can have a good weekend like that and OK, drive well or whatever, but the car obviously worked better at that circuit.
“So there’s always this bit of hope that you also hold on to coming into every weekend. And at least I do.“I’m always excited. I know that it’s probably not going to win this weekend, but maybe we can be in the top 10 and get a little bag of points.”
