Having scored points in the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, an under-pressure Daniel Ricciardo says he wants to maintain his “fire” going forward.
With a lacklustre season compared to his impressive teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo has faced increasing criticism. This weekend in Montreal, 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve joined the chorus of critics, questioning why the 34-year-old still has a place on the grid.
On paper, Ricciardo’s mid-season return to the Red Bull family was initially seen as a potential route to Sergio Perez’s seat at the ‘A team’, but with underwhelming results, the focus has shifted to securing a spot for 2025 at RB.
In Canada, Ricciardo enjoyed his best weekend of the 2023 season. After qualifying fifth on Saturday, he recovered from a poor start and a grid penalty for a false start to finish eighth in a chaotic wet-to-dry race.
While wary of one-off performances, Ricciardo hopes to carry the spirit that served him well in Montreal into his fight for his F1 future.
When asked by Motorsport.com how he can build on his Canadian momentum, Ricciardo replied, “I just need to keep fighting. That little bit of energy, that’s the fire I want to have going into the weekend, and I’ve got to make sure it stays lit and that it’s still burning strong. I don’t know if it’s anger or just heightened excitement, but I feel like it’s working for me.”
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“Of course, you hope that it is [a turning point]. Obviously, I’ve got to replicate that performance and prove that it’s not a one-off. But there are definitely some things since Monaco that I’ve been very happy with, and it’s no coincidence that it all came together this weekend.”
“Now it’s just about making sure we keep it going, and I hold myself accountable to not relax too much and become complacent. I’ve got to make sure I stay sharp.”
After a poor getaway on a wet starting grid and slipping down the order, Ricciardo feared the race would only get worse. Adding to his woes, he was penalized five seconds for a jump start, despite his belief that he hadn’t moved before the lights went out.
“I thought it was going to be one of those days where everything goes against us,” he explained. “The start was chaotic, I lost a few positions. I remember Lewis (Hamilton) just breezing past me around Turn 2.”
“I knew I didn’t jump the start, but I remember looking at the lights and maybe the car was just twitching, maybe a clutch issue. When the rain came, we pitted for intermediates, and others didn’t, so we lost track position.”
“I felt like it was all going downhill, but then towards the end, on the dry tires, we managed to overtake a few cars and score good points.”
Translation by Chloe
