Ricciardo smiles again: 'I had no problems mentally'

A tough season: it's actually still an understatement. In the first weekends of 2024, Yuki Tsunoda was the absolute frontrunner at Visa Cash App RB. Ricciardo's results were lacking for the time being. There were even rumours that Max Verstappen's former teammate had been given an ultimatum to improve. Should he fail, he could be replaced by Liam Lawson.

No problems for Ricciardo

Ricciardo himself thought the disappointing results were down to the chassis. Accordingly, the Australian was given a new one in China, after which he started performing better. Was it a problem in his head or is the chassis really different? "I don't think so. I do think it's something because the first few races, I felt mentally good," Ricciardo stated after the sprint race.

He continued: "Obviously, the results weren't coming. So after a race, of course, I'm a bit down and frustrated, but I was never going down like a negative spiral. We changed the chassis, obviously, and I really did feel something a little bit different when we hit the track in China. So, look, the truth is, have they found something with the old one? No, but could I feel something? Yes."

Ricciardo therefore says that as a Formula 1 driver, he must always have full confidence in himself: "It’s like any sport, when you're trying to get that last percent, you also need to feel 100% in yourself. And if you're just missing something from a feeling that that can be the difference. So even if it's given me a feeling that the other one didn't give, that can be the answer."