"I think they thought we were going to be a different version of another car": Daniel Ricciardo addresses pre-season rumors around RB

Visa Cash App RB driver Daniel Ricciardo claimed that everyone assumed that the newly branded team would be potentially fighting with the big teams and see a 'different version of another car' ahead of the pre-season testing.

The Aussie driver had earlier spoken about the high expectations he had from the Italian team after he was left impressed by their results in the latter half of the 2023 season.

While speaking with F1.com after pre-season testing, Daniel Ricciardo pointed out that some fans may have gotten too excited and anticipated a bigger jump in performance during the upcoming season. He said:

"I would say I think people definitely got excited, let’s say from the outside. Let’s just say the fans got excited, I think they thought we were going to be a different version of another car from the past, but it’s not that, it isn’t that.

He added:

“I think there were the rumors and the bit of excitement that it was going to be, but it’s certainly not. But I think we’re trying to make the most of what we’ve got."

Daniel Ricciardo previews Visa Cash RB at Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend

Daniel Ricciardo stated that he was expecting a positive opening weekend for the Visa Cash App team as he hoped that they could target the top 10 and points in Bahrain.

As quoted by the aforementioned source, the Aussie gave his 'realistic' expectation for the first race of the year, saying:

“So, some gains here and there, but if we want to be sure to fight for Q3s and top 10s, there’s certainly still going to be a bit more to find. But I say that realistically, I don’t say it pessimistically, just realistically.”

He added that the VCARB 01 was an evolution of the 2023 challenger, saying:

"I think we definitely developed the car from last year. It’s hard because we brought upgrades in Abu Dhabi, so we’re comparing it to a car that had fresh updates. If we compared it to the car the race before Abu Dhabi, it looks like we made a bigger step, but it’s just an evolution of that."

Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will hope that the VCARB 01 proves to be a giant killer this season and gives them an opportunity to fight against the bigger teams for bigger results.