Daniel Ricciardo is laser-focused on sharpening his performance in Formula 1, rather than worrying about securing a new deal with Red Bull. Despite a challenging start to the 2024 season, his priority remains on closing the gap with his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
The Australian driver has had a rocky beginning to the 2024 season, with his only points coming from a fourth-place sprint finish at the Miami Grand Prix. This performance leaves him trailing 14 points behind his Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. The strong showing from Tsunoda has led to speculation that Ricciardo’s seat might be at risk, with reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings. Lawson impressed many when he stepped in for Ricciardo during five races, covering for him after a hand injury at Zandvoort.
Red Bull CEO Peter Bayer expressed his satisfaction with Ricciardo and Tsunoda, saying he was pleased with the current lineup. However, Ricciardo dismissed any concerns about his future, explaining, ‘I mean I’ll be honest, I haven’t really given [contract talks] too much. That’s great to hear [from Bayer] and yes, that would be awesome, but I want to be doing better consistently.’
Ricciardo elaborated on his frustrations, particularly the gap between his and Tsunoda’s performances. ‘The gap [to Tsunoda], maybe we do find something that [explains] that’s why I lost a bit here or there. There’ll probably always be something. This is F1 and it’s never perfect. I’m not happy with having these gaps. I think that’s what’s frustrating me a bit,’ he said. Ricciardo emphasized his focus on consistent improvement rather than future prospects, adding, ‘It’s been a bit more of a struggle this year to do it week in, week out, and that’s really where my focus is now as opposed to getting too comfortable or excited about what the future holds. I want to be doing better, whether that’s car or me.’
At the Monaco Grand Prix, Ricciardo finished 12th, converting his qualifying result but losing spots to both Aston Martins during the race. He admitted that missing out on Q3 frequently has been a source of irritation and hopes to extract more from his VCARB 01 chassis. ‘I definitely felt good coming into the [Monaco qualifying] session. Obviously, two years ago here, I struggled with McLaren. I felt a lot better, let’s say this time around, but the reality is the result isn’t really that much better,’ he reflected.
Ricciardo is determined to self-evaluate and identify areas for improvement. ‘I want to try and take a good look at myself and see what I’m missing and then we’ll look at what the car can give me to help me out,’ he said. ‘I think the frustrating thing is I can do it, but it’s obviously not happening frequently enough and that’s where I’m kind of getting frustrated with myself trying to understand why it’s not consistently week in, week out being a Q3 contender.’
Daniel Ricciardo’s priority remains on improving his performance every week to become a consistent Q3 contender. While contractual talks may be in the background, Ricciardo’s main focus is on closing the gap with his teammate and demonstrating his potential on the track.
Source: Motorsport
