Ricciardo Firm Despite Pressure at Chinese GP

Facing immense pressure, Daniel Ricciardo remains steadfast ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite rumors, he sees no imminent exit and remains focused on proving his worth in a challenging season.

Daniel Ricciardo is aware he’s under pressure to maintain his F1 position in the medium term but has denied rumors before this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix that he had two races to save his career. The Australian revealed he did not expect to be treated similarly to Nyck de Vries.

De Vries was dismissed after only ten races last season and was replaced by Ricciardo following the Australian’s successful test at Silverstone. Today, Dr. Helmut Marko stated he would like to give Liam Lawson another opportunity during the season (read more here).

Marko has clearly targeted Ricciardo as the current driver to replace at RB F1, though he admits the situation is “complex,” suggesting it’s easier to dismiss a young unproven driver than an experienced and popular one like Ricciardo.

When asked if he feared being ousted deep down, Ricciardo replied, “No, there isn’t any. Anything can happen, so I’m not naive either, but I’ve had no indication that this will be the case.”

“Again, it probably goes back a bit to what I’ve done in the past, but I think they know that even last year, I showed signs of speed and yes, maybe I didn’t always show it with McLaren.”

“For some reason, it probably hasn’t been at its peak so far this year, but I think they know it’s there, inside me. We just need to put it together and that’s what Dr. Marko is obviously expecting from me.”

Ricciardo has a new chassis for this weekend at the Shanghai circuit; however, he will only have the first practice to get a feel for it, as China hosts the first sprint race of the season. Has he received any kind of ultimatum from Marko or his team?

“No, I haven’t had one. Because I’m obviously with the team every day, so to speak, I would hear it from them. You see what I mean? I say it of course, I know we are not where we want to be.”

“We are still in the same boat, we are on the way, we know what we are doing. I had a great start to the season but the results don’t reflect that.”

“I am not a rookie either, trying to establish myself in the sport and prove something. Obviously, I have a track record, which proves that I can do it.”

“And the team believes in it and knows that I can do it, so they are just trying to make it work for me.”

“I don’t want it to take a whole year and I don’t expect it to take a year, because on one hand, I’m not a rookie, and on the other, I’ve gained experience with this team, its methods. It should pay off.”

Ricciardo won the 2018 edition of the Chinese Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing. Six years later, he draws parallels with his 2019 experience at Renault.

“I remember Melbourne and Bahrain, yes, I struggled at the start of that 2019 season. Then, we came here to China and it’s kind of this weekend that really kicked everything off for me. From this weekend, my season with Renault improved. I think it’s the right time to come back here because I’m looking for a little boost.”

“Of course, the past is gone, there are no guarantees or anything, but it’s a place where I feel I can make things happen.”

“It’s not necessarily that I’m missing a lot of feeling with the car, I don’t feel like I need a whole week of testing to get up to speed. Especially since there’s a Sprint here. The fact that it’s the same for everyone this weekend makes me totally comfortable and confident.”

“Obviously, at Suzuka, I missed Friday and then, obviously for me, I was a bit behind with the time spent on track. But the fact that it’s the same for everyone this weekend, that’s good.”