Ricciardo, on the rest of the weekend: « I’m still confident! »
The Australian driver spent his Friday between adjustments, improving his settings after a second free practice session, and having fun, at the wheel of the new Mégane RS Trophy-R. A winner last year, he believes he can reach Q3 this year. His teammate Nico Hülkenberg remains optimistic too!
We were talking yesterday about enthusiasm that might have been dampened. 17th in FP2, half a second from the 10th place, Daniel Ricciardo could legitimately have lost part of his legendary smile. In the end, nothing of the sort, for now! Relaxed, the Australian put on a show this Friday in the Principality, driving the Megane RS Trophy-R, the new sports car from the diamond brand, unveiled with great fanfare this noon on the streets of Monaco, with Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg. Once out of the car, the two drivers answered questions from various journalists in the pit lane, including Motors Inside!
Debuting the Renault Megane R.S. Trophy R on the streets of Monte-Carlo with @HulkHülkenberg and @danielricciardo! Nice one @RenaultSport! #RSspirit #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/r0WvAcWaLg
— Renault F1 Team (@RenaultF1Team) May 24
Ricciardo: « I think we will be in a better position than Thursday! »
The basis of his optimism, the 2018 winner actually relies on last Friday spent in the garage: the day was marked by an in-depth debriefing with the engineers. Which leads Dan the Man to say:
« We didn’t have rhythm on Thursday, but I think we worked well this Friday to understand where we can be better. We need to backtrack a bit on our settings, particularly with the suspensions. I think I’ll have more feeling, especially when climbing the curbs.
(Chapitre)
Ricciardo therefore hopes at a minimum to reach Q2 and get closer to the top 10!
I don’t know if it will get us into Q3, says the Monegasque resident. But the changes will certainly put us in a better position than yesterday. I am still confident. In Barcelona, during free practice 1, I felt the potential in the car, it’s the same here: if we find it, we can go into Q3!
Hülkenberg: « I was comfortable on Thursday with the car »
So far, the Monegasque weekend is slightly more successful for the garage neighbor: Nico Hülkenberg finished in FP2 just a few thousandths ahead of Ricciardo, who was 16th. But in the morning, Hulk was seventh, just a tenth behind Gasly’s Red Bull! “We haven’t reached our full potential,” says the former Williams driver, particularly “because of the traffic” during the qualifying runs.
I’m quite confident. I was comfortable in the car yesterday, which is always good on such a circuit. But the balance of the car can change quickly on such a track; we need to explore all possible options. That’s why Friday is always interesting to look at the data and come back with the best setup tomorrow.
The Monaco round is a nice test for the German driver: Nico Hülkenberg can simply go for the scalp of the 2018 winner! Meanwhile, the driver of car number 27 assures: he plays as a team with his teammate, so far.
With Daniel, we share most of the data. We definitely want to be competitive on our side, but at the same time, we work collectively. So far, everything is going very well with him!
Like Ricciardo, Hülkenberg is therefore positive before Saturday in Monaco, considering the scenario of his season start, hampered by two engine problems in Sakhir (like his teammate) and in China fifteen days later.
The first five weekends were not perfect. We faced difficulties that cost us points. If you look closely, the situation is not as desperate as one might imagine. But the good thing is that we have always been fast at some point during the weekend. We can return to the position we desire, 4th place in the constructors’ standings. An objective that will require a great performance in Monaco: his best result in the Principality is a fifth place, in 2014, at the wheel of a Force India!
From our special correspondent in Monaco
