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Daniel Ricciardo feels the crash with Alex Albon was disappointing but inevitable in a 24-race-long season. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda ahead of the 2024 Chinese GP, the RB driver does not feel the crash has put pressure on his performance going ahead.
Yet to outperform his teammate Yuki Tsunoda after four race weekends or score his first points, Daniel Ricciardo is actively seeking a clean race weekend to kick start his 2024 campaign. Sandwiched between Lance Stroll and Alex Albon on the opening lap of the Japanese GP, the Australian got blindsided, causing him to spin into the barriers. He tagged the Williams driver along with him but escaped a penalty for the incident.
With pressure mounting on him to perform after the last weekend, the former Red Bull Racing driver believes otherwise and felt it was one of those racing incidents that can happen at any point in the season.
Asked if the Japanese GP crash had added a degree of pressure on his performance going into the next race, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“No like look, I look back on it and yeah obviously racing incident. I was obviously looking left at Stroll and I kind of naturally as the line comes to the right, obviously Albon was there. So that’s certainly not saying it was his fault either. So its just one of those things. You look how the seasons gone and it’s like ‘arggh’ that’s like a bit of another lets say, a hit, so to speak. But I was kind of very clear to the team and especially like my team, so to speak after that weekend.”
“Even on Sunday night I was like ‘guys today was a one off incident, its going to happen over 24 races’. You're never going into a season thinking ‘oh yeah I’m going to have a crash this year’. But with the amount of driving we are doing, it’s highly likely that its inevitable and it was a simple as that. It was one of those start race incidents. I don't think that was any build up of anything that was happening so far this year, lets say with my results. So yeah took it on the chin.”
Daniel Ricciardo believes new chassis at the Chinese GP is mentally encouraging
Daniel Ricciardo claims the new chassis was always a part of RB’s plan by the fifth race on the calendar. After having a tough start to the season, he felt it was a positive encouragement and mentally relieving. Pressed further if there were other things to be changed or if it was mental confidence, the 34-year-old felt that the new chassis did not affect his approach but was adamant it could help.
Asked about his new chassis in China, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“Yes so that's good. So I have been vocal about it, because obviously I have been struggling a bit this year. But also to be clear, it was always the plan to introduce that chassis this year. I don't know if anyone else is yet. But by race five, it was, I was obviously just putting my hand up for ‘Whenever it's ready-I’ll take it’. So it was the earliest convenience and I obviously said ‘let me try it’ and obviously Yuki is happy with his. So that's that. It’s one little box to tick now and make sure we are all ok and peace of mind.”
Asked if it was a confidence issue or if they could find more performance with the new chassis, Daniel Ricciardo replied:
“Yeah we’ll see. Of course look we haven’t found anything wrong with anything what I had. But sometimes you know its again, these things might be visible, might not. But maybe its just to clear my mind and have it. Regardless, even if I had my old chassis, it doesn’t change my approach into the weekend. I still think yeah I can make something happen, but its a little bit of something that will. Yeah I am sure deep down it will help in one way shape or form.”
Vocal about needing a new chassis, Daniel Ricciardo has been desperate to turn around his performance this season. In Japan, he was up to pace with his teammate and was outpaced by only half a tenth of a second. From the performance in qualifying, he did seem more comfortable with his car compared to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Having won a race in China in 2018, the Perth-born driver will be looking forward to finally kick-starting his 2024 season.
