Ricciardo finds his rhythm despite a tough start, while Tsunoda struggles with grip issues at the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint.
Daniel Ricciardo failed to advance past SQ2 during the Sprint qualifiers at the Chinese Grand Prix, but the RB F1 driver isn’t disappointed with his result as he quickly felt comfortable in EL1 and sees potential for improvement in the race and throughout the weekend.
“It’s one of those days where 14th place isn’t an obvious result to celebrate, but personally, I think it was a much better day because we got off to a good start this morning and we were in the top 10,” said the Australian.
“At the same time, I knew that some cars were using only one set of tires. We knew it would be hard to reach Q3, but the feelings on the track were significantly better, which encouraged us.”
“It’s tight, it’s not a place where we’re going to be particularly thrilled, but it was a positive day. As for tomorrow, the Sprint is definitely another opportunity to make our way through the pack and fight a bit. It’s a circuit where you can overtake because there are good opportunities.”
Yuki Tsunoda was very frustrated to be eliminated in SQ1 with the 18th fastest time. The Japanese driver reveals that he never had, from his first laps in the morning, a good feeling driving the VCARB 01.
“I struggled from EL1 with the balance and grip,” said Tsunoda, who does not blame the tricky track conditions. “We tried a lot of things in qualifying, but it didn’t work out, and I couldn’t put everything together. I struggled a lot with grip.”
“To be honest, it has nothing to do with the conditions. I had difficulties and I had never had these issues before, it’s strange. But there are more sessions left, and qualifying on Saturday will be important, so we’ll gather more data and see how it goes.”
Ricciardo Upbeat, Tsunoda Struggles in China Sprint. Ricciardo Upbeat, Tsunoda Struggles in China Sprint
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