The Rise of Ricciardo: A Turnaround in China
Kosport Magazine – 04/18/2022
The start of the 2022 Formula 1 season has been a challenging one for Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo. Struggling for pace against his teammate Yuki Tsunoda and facing questions about his future, Ricciardo’s performance has left many wondering what could be the cause of his difficulties.
But at the Chinese Grand Prix, something changed. With a well-timed change of chassis, Ricciardo delivered his strongest weekend yet, outperforming Tsunoda who has been struggling to find a good set-up. And according to Ricciardo, things just felt different.
“It feels like a more normal weekend,” he said. “From the get-go, we kind of just felt like we’re in a better place and everything came a bit more seamlessly so far this weekend. It’s encouraging, obviously.”
But is the chassis change really the reason behind Ricciardo’s improved performance? He’s not ready to make that judgement just yet. “We did change chassis, [but] I don’t want to jump on that yet and be like, it’s definitely that,” he explained. “Obviously, we need to prove that over the course of a few races.”
With the team convinced that there was nothing wrong with the original chassis, Ricciardo may never know what the problem was. But if his performance continues at this level for the next few events, he may have to accept that he will never have a definitive answer.
But for now, Ricciardo is encouraged by his performance in China. “If the next five completely do this kind of 180, so to speak, then I would have confidence in saying alright, well, maybe we will never know what it was,” he said. “Something didn’t make me feel right with obviously the previous chassis I was racing.”
And while Shanghai is known for its unique challenges, Ricciardo didn’t have to make any drastic changes to his approach. “This circuit is typically a bit more of a front-limited circuit, so it is a little different to probably the majority of tracks in terms of the set-up and that,” he said. “But I’d be lying if I said we changed much this weekend. It was a little few tweaks here and there, but it’s nothing crazy.”
So what’s the verdict? “So far, it feels everything’s gone more normal. And right now normal is good,” Ricciardo concluded.
A Promising Future for Ricciardo
Kosport Magazine – 04/18/2022
After a difficult start to the season, Daniel Ricciardo’s performance in China has given fans hope for a turnaround. With a change of chassis and a strong weekend, Ricciardo has shown that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. And while the cause of his struggles may remain a mystery, Ricciardo is focused on the present and looking forward to the next few races. Will this be the turning point for the Australian driver? Only time will tell, but for now, things are looking up for Ricciardo and his team.
