After starting in a promising position of P4 during the Sprint race, Daniel Ricciardo’s performance took a disappointing turn as he ended up exiting in Q1 during the Miami event.
RB team principal Laurent Mekies said the improved performance of Daniel Ricciardo will have lifted a “huge weight” in Miami, but the team are still unsure what was “disturbing” his performances before that weekend.
During the recent Sprint qualifying in Miami, Ricciardo showcased significant improvement. He secured a fourth-place position in the qualifying session and maintained this position until the race’s conclusion. Although he experienced a slight decline in performance during the race, he managed to score his first points of the season.
Daniel Ricciardo lifts ‘huge weight’ with Miami GP showing
Mekies commended Ricciardo for his exceptional performance during the initial portion of the weekend. He further explained that the team had always intended to provide him with a new chassis in China, hoping it would better complement his driving style.
Mekies pointed out that despite the puzzling nature of Ricciardo’s results, there were indications of improvement leading up to that weekend. He stated that Ricciardo’s performances have been inexplicably challenging to comprehend, yet internal indicators suggested that a positive outcome was imminent.
“I’m sure it was a huge weight [off his shoulders] because the US is nearly his second home race,” Mekies said to Motorsport.com.
“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.
To be fair, we had observed indications of progress earlier, yet conveying this to the world proved to be extremely challenging.
Bahrain’s performance was not as good as Saudi’s, while Saudi’s performance was not as good as Australia’s. Similarly, Australia’s performance was not as good as Japan’s, and Japan’s performance was not as good as China’s.
“We had observed numerous small advancements leading up to this point, and we believe there are additional strides we can make in the upcoming races to further tailor the car to his preferences.”
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When asked about the potential reason behind Ricciardo’s race struggles, Mekies vaguely stated that they discovered certain aspects that displeased him, resulting in a significant decrease in speed.
“We have made every effort to address these limitations and there are a few more we hope to see resolved in the upcoming weekends.”
We had always intended to introduce a new chassis before the sixth race. This decision aimed to address Daniel’s concerns and enhance his comfort during races. The results were immediately noticeable as he performed better in both China and Miami.
Understanding and analyzing the drivers’ actions is a crucial asset for any team, even though it may not always be apparent from the data alone.
“We are currently in the process of comprehending the source of his disturbance, and it remains an ongoing endeavor.”
Ricciardo expressed his disappointment in being eliminated during Q1 on Saturday, especially after his impressive performance in the Miami Sprint. He believed that this setback hindered his chances of accumulating more points throughout the weekend.
Therefore, he thinks that in order to maintain his recent stronger performances, he must enhance his speed for completing one lap.
Ricciardo expressed his hopeful, optimistic, and excited mindset before the race. However, he acknowledged that the experience is different when faced with traffic, as he shared with the media after the Miami race.
In the Sprint race yesterday, I had the advantage of using the car’s pace and having a clear track, which allowed me to rely on the downforce and grip. However, today during the intense battles and in the presence of turbulent air, we encountered difficulties. It seemed like many of the cars we were competing against had less downforce, making it challenging for us to both attack and defend. This made the situation far from straightforward for our team.
Qualifying remains crucial, emphasizing its significance. Naturally, I was disappointed with the grip I experienced on those tires yesterday, and that sentiment still lingers. However, I must also reflect upon my own performance.
I thought to myself, “Yes, there are areas where I could have performed even better.” Therefore, I continue to take responsibility for sessions of this nature.
“We possess great speed, but unfortunately, it is not enough to begin from the rear and swiftly surpass all opponents. We must acknowledge this fact and focus on improving our qualifying performance.”
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