Ricciardo after Marko's criticism: 'I want exactly the same as him'

Ricciardo says ahead of the weekend in Japan that it is still quite a search for the set-up. With his side of the garage, the Australian is not quite getting the set-up right at the moment. He says that explains why the first three GPs have been somewhat disappointing. Whereas in his era at McLaren, it just wasn't there either, at Visa Cash App RB it is.

"It's not a McLaren situation," Ricciardo stressed. "So I think it's just important now that I just keep working with my engineers and we don't start taking too many suggestions or advice from the outside. Of course, I would have wanted more results from the first few races. I'm not happy with it, of course. But it's important that we don't start, we just stay on course ultimately and don't get sidetracked."

The 34-year-old driver feels results will come. "It'll come. It's just a little bit here and there. And I think it will just, whatever is maybe just missing at the moment, will click. And I think it's one weekend away from that. Even Melbourne, obviously, I was probably disappointed on paper with the weekend, of course, and not getting points and the qualifying and all that. But when we kind of analysed the race, it wasn't as sad as it probably looked or seemed. We had good race pace. And I think there are some good things that we're taking. We just need to put it together now," he said.

Criticism from Marko

Helmut Marko also hinted in the media that Ricciardo simply did not show enough in the first weeks of the new season. This does not necessarily create extra pressure for the experienced driver from Perth. "No, but I know, like, I also know what he expects and wants. And it's exactly what I want. You know, I know it's 24 races and it's a long season and I have two good races now. And all of a sudden it's forgotten, the bad ones."

"So, three races and not having a result I want, I'm sure is also not what he wants or the team want. But it's important, I think, for us to, you know, like Pierre, Patrick, my two engineers have been working their butts off. And it's important that we just focus on ourselves and don't get kind of distracted by anything else. And of course, we all want the result. But it's not going to come from receiving suggestions or advice. Or, I don't know, anything else from someone. So we'll just stay on course. And I know it will come. Unfortunately, it hasn't come yet. But I definitely have faith"