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Daniel Ricciardo believes there are factors apart from a new chassis that have contributed to his revived form in the 2024 Chinese GP.
Speaking to media including Sportskeeda after the qualifying session, the RB driver was optimistic about turning around his performance and kick-starting his 2024 campaign. In the last three race weekends of dull results, Ricciardo was struggling primarily with his qualifying pace.
The Aussie was trying different setups to get more comfortable with the car but was given a new chassis in China. The chassis is not an upgraded version but a spare that was scheduled for this weekend. The Australian driver had made progress in Japan despite a single practice session to experiment with the upgrades on his car.
However, a lack of practice sessions meant he got outqualified by teammate Yuki Tsunoda for the fourth time this season, but this time by a margin of half a tenth of a second. From FP1 ahead of the Chinese GP, Ricciardo has been able to outqualify his Japanese teammate in both sessions and outperform him in the practice and Sprint races.
The gap between him and his teammate went up to two-tenths of a second and built up to five-tenths of a second by the sprint shootout. In qualifying, the gap between the RB duo was three-tenths of a second.
With the circuit being one where the 34-year-old has been successful in the past, returning to the venue made a difference to the optimism. He believes that there was a noticeable difference with the chassis but it needs to be proved with consistency over the next few weekends.
Asked about his change in approach or new chassis that helped him make progress, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“So I don't want to jump on that yet and be like it's definitely that. I think obviously we need to prove that over the course of a few races. Yeah but that was obviously something we did change this weekend and so far it's been my best weekend of the year. So whether it's that or whether it's just I've always kind of done well around here. We'll see, we'll see in Miami and Imola and maybe the next few if it continues.”
On whether they made other significant setup changes, he added:
“No, not really in terms of, I mean this circuit is typically a bit more of a front limited circuit so it is a little different to kind of probably the majority of tracks in terms of the setup and that. But it's not I'll be lying if I said we changed much this weekend you know a little few tweaks here and there but it's nothing crazy so yeah let's see but so far it feels everything's gone more normal and right now normal is good.”
Pressed further to categorically state if there was a noticeable difference in the car after a chassis change, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“Again let's see I will say yes. But I'll make sure that is there as well in my whatever it's one track. But yes to be black and white with it, for now, yes.”
Daniel Ricciardo believes that the seamless build-up to the Chinese GP has been positive
Daniel Ricciardo believes that the Chinese GP weekend built up well, where his performance started to improve right from the first session. He felt the trouble-free weekend help build the results.
The former Red Bull Racing driver was uncertain what the reason for discomfort with his previous car was. He explained that there was a level of discomfort with the chassis, which put him on the back foot. However, he felt it was still too early to say whether his season had turned around. His past experience and front-end limitations of the circuit have played into his strengths.
Asked about his progress in the sprint and qualifying, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“Yes. Yeah, definitely. It feels like a more normal weekend. I would say from the get -go, from yesterday morning, we kind of just felt like we were in a better place. Everything came, I don't want to say easier because that doesn't sound too easy, but yeah, it just kind of came a bit more seamlessly so far this weekend. So it's encouraging, obviously. Yeah, we did change chassis.”
Optimistic to continue the moment into the main race, Daniel Ricciardo was determined to make progress. Starting 12th on the grid, he told Sportskeeda that he was in a better place than in Japan where he started 11th.
The 'Honey Badger' believes he is in better form this weekend to collect his first points and expected a one-pitstop strategy to pan out for most of the grid. Yet to score his first points, the RB driver is expected to shine at a circuit where he is optimistic that his car has the pace to overtake other midfielders such as the Haas, Sauber, and Williams drivers.
Asked to unravel the factors contributing to the lack of performance, Ricciardo added:
“Yeah I think look if this saved my weekend how it's gone so far continues for the next what have we had four five races. So yeah, save the next five completely do this kind of 180 so to speak, then I would have come in saying all right, maybe we will never know what it was. But something didn't maybe feel right with obviously the previous chassis I was racing.
"But yeah, I would love to kind of be here in five races time and say that, because then it means the season has definitely turned around and kind of get that monkey off our back, or I don't know, kind of put that thing to bed, so to speak. But yeah, we'll see in the next one. But I'm encouraged so far with the two days we've had here.”
