Ricciardo must “get my season going” before thinking of Red Bull drive

Daniel Ricciardo admits he has “got to get my season going” before he can contemplate potentially rejoining Red Bull’s senior team.

The eight-times grand prix winner rejoined Formula 1 with Red Bull’s second team RB last year, when it was called AlphaTauri. He has been open about his desire to return to the senior team.

However Ricciardo has made an underwhelming start to 2024. He is yet to score his first point after the first four races, recording a best finish of 12th in Melbourne and crashing out of the last round in Japan. His younger team mate Yuki Tsunoda has taken back-to-back top tens in Melbourne and Suzuka.

But Ricciardo said it feels like a matter of time before his season comes together.

“I’m in year 14 of this and you say ‘I’m learning every time’,” he told the official F1 channel. “And I’m like, ‘well, I’m not a rookie,’ but it’s true. It’s kind of the sad truth – you’re always learning.

“I say it’s the ‘sad’ truth, but that’s also what makes the sport exciting, that you’re constantly trying to find something all the time and you can find something. So kind of that endless opportunity is exciting.

“Did I want to be learning this much coming into race five? Not really. But it’s still coming from a good place.

“It’s not coming from a place of ‘we’re really struggling and we’re really in a deep, dark hole and it’s going to be hard to get out of it’ – not at all. In Japan, at least, the [Sunday] was a short one but it was, I think, definitely encouraging. So just got to get it done now. But do I fear anything or do I feel that I cannot? Absolutely not. I am supremely happy, well-rounded and confident.”

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Ricciardo said his focus is on kickstarting his campaign with RB, rather than thinking about possibly moving up to Red Bull’s senior team.

“Even talking now about going up, let’s say I don’t even want to talk about it, because obviously I’ve got to get my season going even before talking or thinking about that,” he explained. “So it’s certainly not at the forefront of my mind right now.

“Obviously you’ve always got to prove yourself right, so I’ve got to prove myself here again and get that ball rolling. But I think being here in the [Red Bull] family, they know what I’m capable of and I think that’s obviously really encouraging. So yes, we want to turn this thing around, but there is not some immense pressure that like, ‘you’ve got to show us you have the ability to do it’ because they know I do. But obviously now it’s just doing it, making it happen.”

Ricciardo has a strong history at this weekend’s venue, the Shanghai International Circuit, having won the Chinese Grand Prix in 2018. He says that gives him confidence heading into the first sprint round of the championship.

“Obviously 2018’s a stand out, but I remember 2016; a front row and led for a few laps and we got a puncture or whatever – it was a crazy race,” he said. “That was a good one.

“And then the last time we were here in 2019, it was kind of the race that kickstarted everything with my Renault campaign. We struggled the first few races and then came here and kind of found something and that was really positive, I think, from that race onwards for us. So I’d love to replicate that five years later.

“Obviously on paper, we’re not probably in a good place, but we’re not far off. It’s not like we’re really struggling or missing something in particular. I know it’s a little bit here and there, but, definitely hasn’t taken any confidence away from me. Obviously I’ve not driven yet this weekend, but standing here very confident that I can get the job done.”

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