Why Ricciardo believes he can start to save his F1 future in Chinese GP

Helmut Marko has started sending out warnings. Reports in the week before the Chinese Grand Prix suggested Ricciardo had been given an ultimatum, with Liam Lawson sitting on the sidelines waiting for another chance. Marko hasn't confirmed that Ricciardo has been given an ultimatum but did state that he would love to see Lawson in the car.

Ricciardo is yet to score a point in the 2024 F1 season, whereas Tsunoda sits on the cusp of the top ten with seven points. The Japanese driver has beaten Ricciardo in every qualifying session and Grand Prix except for the Bahrain race when Ricciardo was given team orders to overtake. At the start of the season, a tasty battle was in prospect between the two VCARB drivers as they had the chance to prove themselves for the Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen.

It might all be in vain, as Sergio Perez is doing everything he can to prove he deserves a contract extension. Still, Ricciardo has himself stressed the importance of improving to ensure his current team makes progress.

Why Ricciardo believes he can kick-start his F1 season in China

In the build-up to the weekend, Ricciardo has been looking back at his previous results. The F1 circus hasn't travelled to Shanghai since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tsunoda was yet to make his debut in Formula 3 at that point. One of Ricciardo's eight Grand Prix wins came in Shanghai. In 2018, Ricciardo advanced from sixth on the grid to win on behalf of Red Bull. But it's the 2019 edition that he draws most of his inspiration from.

"I look back at the years. I definitely had some good weekends here. 2019 with Renault. I struggled at the start of that season in Melbourne and Bahrain. Then we came here to China and it was that weekend which really kick-started everything for me. From that weekend onwards, my Renault campaign got better. It's a good time to come back here because I'm looking for that little bit of a kick-start to the season. However the past has gone, there's no guarantees or anything, but it is a place where I feel I can get things going," Ricciardo told the press ahead of the weekend in China.

How does Ricciardo expect to do that?

Ricciardo confirmed he will have a new chassis. "It's just to clear my mind. Even if I had my old chassis, it wouldn't change my approach to the weekend. I still think I can make something happen, but it's a little bit of something. Well, I'm sure deep down, it will help in one way, shape or form," Ricciardo added.

"I'm coming to every weekend still [feeling] very positive and confident that I can do it. It hasn't happened yet to the level I'm expecting or wanting. I'm not coming into a weekend feeling like we’re on the back foot or thinking: 'Can I do it? Can I not?' I definitely still have a lot of confidence that I can."

Despite not visiting the circuit with the cars from the current set of regulations, the Chinese Grand Prix has been selected as one of six sprint events this season. That means teams and drivers will get just one hour of practice before the first meaningful session. Ricciardo doesn't see this as a disadvantage.

"I don't feel like I need a whole week of practice to get up to pace. And the fact that it’s the same for everyone this weekend, I'm totally comfortable and confident. I missed the Friday in Suzuka, and then I was a little bit on the back foot with track time, but the fact that it's the same for everyone this weekend is good," Ricciardo concluded.

The Australian will need a good result sooner rather than later. Last year, Marko demonstrated with Nyck de Vries how sharp and brutal the situation can become.