0d1b93b3e821887e081015dd550d2cdd01086c24

Ricciardo on championship chances: "Still feel we're in it"

20:03, 28 Jun 2018

byNicolás Quarles van Ufford

Daniel Ricciardo thinks that he's still in the title race and that it's not just between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, as the Aussie explains that one win always flips the script.

Ricciardo has already taken two races this year out of the eight, which is more than he mustered in the entirety of 2017. In China, he spectacularly fought his way up through the field to eventually take the win, and in Monaco, he was simply the quickest man all weekend long. That win looked in danger during the second half of the race when the Aussie lost a big amount of power, but he still limped to his first ever win in Monaco.

Despite his efforts though, the Honey Badger sits in third place, 51 points behind leader Lewis Hamilton. Does he feel like he's still in the title race, despite that big deficit?

"I still feel we're in it to be honest," the Aussie said at the drivers' press conference on Thursday.

"Still a little bit of a long way, from a points perspective, but I feel like we're more in it than we have been in the four last years I've had with the team.

"I know we're going to have to take a penalty in the next few races and we're still on the back foot in some areas, but I feel on performance alone, we're closer than we've ever been.

"Like always, you get one win, you're back in the race, you're back in the fight.

"I think it's too early to count us out."

Is it though? Red Bull rarely look like the quickest car out there. Only in Monaco did they truly dominate. But, as Ricciardo has said, it's a long season, so who knows...