In an intriguing move, Daniel Ricciardo has requested a chassis change from the RB F1 team, drawing on lessons from his time at McLaren. This strategy underlines his determination to outperform teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Entering the season with the aim of impressing enough to secure a return to Red Bull Racing, a team he left in 2018, Ricciardo has found himself trailing teammate Yuki Tsunoda at all four events this season, highlighted by a Q1 exit in Australia that spurred chatter about a chassis switch.
RB F1’s Sporting Director, Alan Permane, revealed last weekend that a new chassis had been constructed and would be airlifted to Shanghai for Ricciardo’s use.
Permane emphasized that the chassis Ricciardo has utilized thus far in 2024 was flaw-free, noting the Australian’s qualification just 0.055 seconds behind Tsunoda at Suzuka.
Asked if the narrower gap to Tsunoda had dispelled his doubts, Ricciardo said, “I’m still curious. Definitely. Because it’s something that at least… you want peace of mind.”
Ricciardo recalled a period at McLaren in 2021 when he went from a win at Monza to lagging two seconds behind pole-sitter and teammate Lando Norris at Sochi.
“Due to my past experience, I’ll be honest, it was after I won Monza 2021 they wanted to retire that chassis from racing. So I got a different one for Russia.”
“And I was nowhere in Russia. I remember. So after that, I said, guys, I don’t want this chassis, give me the other one back. And then the next race was in Austin, and I was back to normal.”
“So yes, there have been times when I’ve definitely been skeptical about certain chassis that, for whatever reason, weren’t performing well. So I just want to make sure everything’s OK.”
Ricciardo’s Request: A New RB F1 Chassis Explained. Ricciardo’s Request: A New RB F1 Chassis Explained
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