Daniel Ricciardo pilots the VCARB-01 to a notable fourth-place finish in Bahrain, marking a hopeful beginning. The team aims for the top of the mid-pack amidst cautious optimism.
The VCARB-01 had a productive and positive first day with Daniel Ricciardo at the helm this Wednesday in Bahrain.
In half a day, the Australian completed 52 laps and posted a symbolic 4th fastest time, which is encouraging nonetheless.
For now, Daniel Ricciardo is keeping his excitement in check: he sees RB F1 as mid-pack, not at the front of the mid-pack.
“It’s the start of the season, we need to be a bit cautious.”
“The season’s goal is to be at the front of the mid-pack, but I think I’d say that today, where we stand, is probably more in the mid-pack. I’m not sure we’re at the front of the mid-pack yet, but that’s definitely our aim.”
“I know some people are very excited about us at the start of the season, but I want to be a bit cautious… because we have a decent car, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
“We arrived in Abu Dhabi [the finale of the 2023 season] with some developments, and the car felt quite good.”
“There are definitely positives, but it’s clear we still have time to find. The overall feeling and balance are actually okay, so now it’s about finding a bit more time.”
Daniel Ricciardo’s afternoon was all the more pleasant as he didn’t seem to have had much time to play with the settings.
“It’s nice to finish the first day and to have driven an F1 car again.
“Since we got out on the track a bit late, the program was a bit rushed, so we didn’t have much time to debrief and discuss setting changes.”
“That’s what we’ll do tonight, Yuki will be back in the car tomorrow morning, so let’s try to give him as much information as possible tonight.”
Regarding performance gains on this RB F1, Daniel Ricciardo is clear: they’re on the aerodynamic front.
“It’s really going to come from aerodynamics.”
“That’s really where all the mid-pack teams talk about catching up to the top teams. It’s about trying to find those aerodynamic gains – and there’s also drag.”
“Sometimes, it’s possible to find aerodynamic downforce and eliminate drag, and that’s really the key. That’s what the top teams have really managed to do, and so that’s what we need to work on.”
For Tsunoda, Williams is hiding performance
In the other RB F1, Yuki Tsunoda, after posting the 13th fastest time over 64 laps, made a small assessment of the competition.
He believes Red Bull is ahead of everyone, but Williams could also surprise in the pack.
“Apart from Red Bull, Aston looks good, Ferrari as well; I’m not sure about McLaren.”
“Looking at the mid-pack, I feel like Williams might be hiding some of their performance.”
“Apart from that, we’re not in a bad position in the fight for the mid-pack. I hope we can continue like this. If we’re at the top of the mid-pack, and we manage that from the first race, I think it’s a very good start.”
Ricciardo VCARB-01 Bahrain Optimism. Ricciardo VCARB-01 Bahrain Optimism
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