Ricciardo responds to critics on track: 'Now I have to back it up'

"It's the first weekend I've gone well, start to finish. Obviously Miami, half of it was really good and the other half not. So it's nice just to be competitive from Friday through to Sunday. And a race like this, it's so hard. You know, mentally everything, it's like, it is draining," Ricciardo began summing up his weekend to GPblog and other selected media.

He added that he was proud of his performance in changeable conditions. "So you can't expect do a perfect race when it's like this. But I felt like, in all these conditions, we managed to still pull out a result. So with a few challenges along the way. So, yes, I'm happy."

Ricciardo believes the criticism that he received ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix really helped him get fuelled up to fight. "Just got to keep it rolling and I think, that little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend... I got to make sure that stays there and just kind of keep that level of intensity. And sometimes, being a little bit maybe, I don't know, I was saying before, I don't know if it's the need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me."

A turning point for Ricciardo?

Ricciardo's start to the season was not the best, having only scored points in the Miami sprint race until finishing in P8 in Canada. Now, the Australian hopes this can be a turning point for him. "Obviously I got to repeat it and back it up to show that or prove it. But yes, I definitely am happy with some things."

"I really do feel that it's no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother. So it's just making sure that we keep on that, keep tapping into it, and make sure that I'm holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and I'd be going lucky, making sure I keep that edge about me," Ricciardo concluded.