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Ricciardo misses out on Q3 but thinks close midfield is "enjoyable"

19:45, 27 Jul 2019

byNicolás Quarles van Ufford

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo missed out on Q3 by the smallest of margins but does say he enjoys how close the battles are in midfield, as just five-tenths separated the Aussie in P13 and Sergio Pérez in P8.

Renault's pace has been a bit off this weekend, particularly Ricciardo in FP3, finishing in the bottom three.

It's not where he ended in qualifying, but he did strand in Q2 as he got on the wrong side of the incredibly close margins in midfield.

“It’s frustrating to be the wrong side in Q2, but it was incredibly tight out there," the 29-year-old admitted.

"We were the last ones in the 1:12.7's and less than half a tenth would have put me eighth and through. In that regard, the midfield is enjoyable as it’s so close.

"On my side, I have to take accountability for that as I know I could have done a little bit more. We made a good improvement from the morning so it was pleasing to be so close to the top ten."

With rain potentially on the cards on Sunday, Ricciardo knows he can do damage if that happens. If not, he's still comfortable he'll make up some places

"Tomorrow could be nice if it rains. Even if it’s dry, we’ll be alright. It’s a mixed field ahead of us, but for now, we’ll take it on the chin and figure it out.”

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