Daniel Ricciardo’s start to 2024 was tough but after comprehensively struggling for the first few races of the season, he registered a solid result at the Canadian GP. Now Ricciardo believes he can carry this form for the remainder of the season.
Ricciardo put his car on the third row of the grid during Qualifying in Montreal (P5). He wasn’t quite as fast in the race, but still finished P8, bagging four valuable points for his team V-CARB.
Riding high on this, ahead of the Spanish GP, Ricciardo said, “I have confidence we can have more of those weekends in the next few and be there more consistently. So it was good for me.”
‘@danielricciardo on Montreal form: “I have confidence we can have more of those weekends in the next few and be there more consistently. So it was good for me, good for obviously the people who are pushing and know that I can do it. It was needed, and it felt good for everyone.”
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) June 20, 2024
In Canada, Ricciardo also out-classed his teammate Yuki Tsunoda on pure pace for the first time this season. Tsunoda finished almost a lap behind winner Max Verstappen in P14. At the Spanish GP, Ricciardo would want a similarly good performance that would see him miles ahead of Tsunoda.
V-CARB will also look to bring upgrades to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend. And with a faster car under his belt, the honey badger is confident of his chances.
Daniel Ricciardo looking forward to a competitive Spanish GP
The Spanish GP has often been a race on the calendar that sees the majority of the teams bringing upgrades to their cars, owing to the track’s balanced layout. Hence, Ricciardo is expecting a challenging weekend but remains convinced that his pace in Montreal was not a one-time affair.
Ricciardo has also set himself some targets. Sports Illustrated quoted him as saying,
“I’m looking forward to keeping this run going, trying to get some more Q3 appearances and points finishes. I like to think it’s the start of where my season continues to progress and show performances like I did in Montreal.”
With respect to the Drivers’ standings, Ricciardo could make some serious inroads this weekend too. He wants to get closer to the top 10, with that particular position being held by Tsunoda at the moment, who is 14 points ahead of the Perth-born driver.
