Daniel Ricciardo said he feels positive from the more competitive battle as a RB after losing by a narrow margin to Yuki Tsunoda.
In the final part of qualifying at Suzuka ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda qualified half a second faster, but the Australian driver was eliminated in Q2.
Daniel Ricciardo: Frustrating but encouraging
Ricciardo has lost in qualifying to Tsunoda in all four races so far in 2024, but is almost even with the Japanese driver and after a tough start to the season, the qualifying session at Suzuka showed the Australian driver's strongest performance. Marked.
Over the team radio, race engineer Pierre Hamelin could be heard encouraging Ricciardo to remain positive about his day at Suzuka despite being eliminated in Q2 by his teammate.
Speaking to the media after the session, Ricciardo said he felt frustrated but was clinging to the happier aspects of his performance.
When asked how he felt about qualifying for 11th place, he admitted, “It's complicated.”
“Personally, obviously, it's frustrating when you miss out. When I saw on the board that I was 10th, I knew there were a few cars coming.
“So, it was close. It's frustrating, but it's also encouraging because I'm sure the start of the year was difficult for some reason.
“You can't take anything away from Yuki. He drove very well.”
Red Bull rookie driver Ayumu Iwasa drove Ricciardo's car in FP1, fulfilling his first rookie requirement, and Ricciardo missed Friday's first practice, but due to rain on the track, the Australian We were unable to make up for the lost time in the afternoon.
However, Ricciardo said that despite his lack of track time compared to Tsunoda, he did not want to use that as an excuse.
“I don't want to use yesterday as a reason for half a second off. It's not because of yesterday, but it certainly made today a little bit tricky for us because of yesterday,” he said.
“So even in those circumstances, I think we did a very good job of getting back to what we did. I think that's encouraging.”
However, Ricciardo said that although he may have missed out on a top-10 position in qualifying, he is confident he can move forward, although he is not sure what the race conditions will be.
“I'm actually feeling pretty good heading into tomorrow,” he said.
“I haven't done many long runs, but I try to stay positive. Pierre, my engineer…I can tell he feels the same way I do, but at the same time I'm being realistic and trying to stay positive. I was trying to thank them for actually having a very good session.
“So, I will try to carry the small smiles and positive feelings I have today into tomorrow.It is quite painful, but I think there is a certain degree of satisfaction with today's results.''
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Daniel Ricciardo: I found a little more direction
After an eventful weekend last time in Melbourne with Ricciardo unable to match Tsunoda's pace, the Australian driver has changed his approach a bit for this weekend as he is prepared to drive a less stable car. said. To find performance rather than working from a stability baseline.
Ricciardo said he didn't really understand where his pace was lacking in Australia, but the picture has become clearer in the two weeks since Melbourne. He also used his third free practice session at Suzuka to put into practice what he had learned.
“In that short amount of time, I think we've obviously done a really good job of understanding a little bit more from Melbourne this morning and now,” he said.
“We certainly went through quite a lot after Melbourne and I think it's also one of those situations where you don't have the luxury of time on a race weekend. Obviously there's a few hours between sessions, but However, in hindsight, some of the changes made may not have actually been the direction at the time.
“It might seem like it, but a week after the race, we've been through everything and we've actually kind of realized that some things might not have been the direction we were supposed to go. Ta.
“That's my feeling too, but maybe I'm biased by some things. Yes, I feel like I've found a little more direction, and that's a positive thing.
“At the end of the day, it's still not where I want to be. But it's close, so that's encouraging. Like I said, I don't want to take anything away from Yuki. He's good. I think I’m driving, so I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with someone who’s also in bad shape.”
When asked if one of the changes Ricciardo is pursuing is to pursue the car's inherent potential, Ricciardo said: It brought out a certain confidence in me.
“So we tried to go for stability, but in some cases stability is safer and slower. We thought it made sense at the time, but now we realize that stability is safer and slower. I think in the end it just slowed down the car.
“Well, we're just trying to figure out how to keep it on the edge, but also keep it in a place where it can feel and feel comfortable. So this weekend, we're going to be in a place similar to that. i am back.
“It's funny because last year it was the opposite. He loves understeer cars and I love oversteer cars. That's what I was always looking for.
“To be fair, he certainly got even closer to what I liked last year. But yeah, in Melbourne we went the opposite way. That's why we said, 'Okay, here we go. I think I started thinking, “Maybe I should try not to get too lost.''
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