Daniel Ricciardo: No Need to Panic Yet as RB Investigates Performance Drop in Spain
RB’s star driver, Daniel Ricciardo, remains calm despite a disappointing performance at the Spanish Grand Prix. The team brought a significant upgrade package to Barcelona, but instead of improving, they seemed to have gone backward in competitiveness. Both Ricciardo and his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, were eliminated in the first stage of qualifying and couldn’t make an impact in the race.
Ricciardo, however, sees no reason to panic just yet. He believes it’s important to thoroughly investigate the issue before making any drastic changes. “I think that temptation probably only exists in maybe 72 hours,” Ricciardo said. “If we’re still unsure or there’s no clear answer then maybe we say: ‘Okay, do we just for the time being go back?’ But right now, I’m not there yet to resort to that.”
The Australian driver also expressed his surprise at the drop in performance, especially since he felt comfortable in the car and didn’t think they had left much on the table with the new upgrades. “It was a really, really strange weekend for us to have dropped off so much,” Ricciardo said. “I didn’t have a bad feeling in qualifying. In the debrief, Yuki and myself both felt we did good laps, we felt like the balance wasn’t bad.”
Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, in Parc Ferme after the race
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Tsunoda, on the other hand, did feel something was fundamentally wrong with his car during the race. He finished 19th, ahead of only a struggling Logan Sargeant in the Williams. “There was a clear issue in the beginning and for sure that was compromised a little bit, for especially the second stint,” he said.
Despite the disappointing outcome, both drivers and the team are determined to find answers and improve for the next race in Austria. Ricciardo acknowledged that a lot of work needed to be done in the next 48-72 hours, but remained optimistic. “I’ve got plenty of notes and feedback from the race. The next 48-72 hours [we have] lots of things to look at,” he said.
Kosport Magazine’s Take
RB’s upgrades at the Spanish Grand Prix did not have the desired effect, leaving the team and its drivers disappointed. However, there is no need to panic just yet. It’s important for the team to thoroughly investigate the issue before making any drastic changes. Ricciardo’s calm and optimistic attitude is a good sign for the team’s future performance. Let’s see if they can bounce back in Austria and put this setback behind them.
