Daniel Ricciardo did not have an ideal qualification at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday as the RB driver could only manage P14. Despite this, the Honey Badger believes he can score some points after the light goes out for the first time in 2024. Ricciardo revealed that he wants to focus on rivals’ weaknesses and get the better of them.
Speaking about this, Ricciardo said as per SpeedCafe, “I’m confident to be better than what I qualified today.” Following this, he further added, “And it’s the first race. Anything can happen as well. Some people might be excited. Some people might be nervous. You never know. Just have to keep my head on a swivel and the rest will follow.”
Hopes on Ricciardo heaped after the Australian driver’s FP1 performance on Thursday. The RB driver claimed pole position with 1:32.869 on the board, ahead of the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. However, the Q2 performance burst the bubbles.
As Ricciardo’s P14 showed the true color of the RB, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda could not do any better. The Japanese star qualified in P11 as both the RB drivers were out in Q2. However, Tsunoda has a better chance of claiming a point or two as he is very close to P10.
Nevertheless, RB’s pace underperformed to a great extent. Given how their performance was in pre-season and Free Practice sessions, one could expect Ricciardo or Tsunoda to be in the top ten in the qualification or in the race.
Why is each race important for Daniel Ricciardo?
Daniel Ricciardo returned to F1 last year after Christian Horner and Helmut Marko sacked Nyck de Vries due to lack of performance. However, Ricciardo needs to make sure he does not end up being on the receiving side this time around.
Apart from this, the Honey Badger would also need to beat Tsunoda throughout the season if he wants to have any chance of taking the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. Ricciardo has often mentioned how he fancies racing for the Austrian team, but it is going to be a lot harder.
On the other hand, the young Japanese star has been on the Faenza-based team for four years now. Therefore, he now wishes to move to the main team and this is something Ricciardo cannot take easily. It makes Tsunoda a direct rival of Ricciardo, and simply more than just a teammate. Hence, Daniel Ricciardo needs to step up in 2024 if he fancies a Red Bull seat.
Apart from Tsunoda, the 34-year-old also needs to keep a check on Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson. If Perez manages to maintain his form in 2024, which he is doing now as Marko showed his confidence, chances are Red Bull might extend his contract. Even if they do not, they surely have a plan for Lawson who’s waiting in the wings as a reserve driver.
