Red Bull: Ricciardo Optimistic for Vettel

Sixth in the drivers’ championship after nine races, Sebastian Vettel, the reigning four-time world champion, has 70 points, 28 fewer than Daniel Ricciardo.

During the qualifying for the British Grand Prix, it was the German driver who secured the second position, while Ricciardo started from 8th place on the grid. Nevertheless, the Australian managed to finish ahead of his teammate thanks to a different strategy, with only one stop, which allowed him to secure another podium (his fourth of the season).

The one who lined up poles, victories, and titles for four seasons is today struggling to adapt to certain aspects of the new cars in the era of V6 turbo hybrids, particularly the instability of the Red Bull RB10 caused by regulatory changes that have reduced aerodynamic downforce.

For Daniel Ricciardo, however, it’s only a matter of time before Vettel returns to his best form: « I don’t know if the word is “improve” or “get better,” because he’s very good, but I’m sure his form will come. In the next race in Germany, I’m sure he’ll be fired up, wanting to demonstrate his determination at home. In Germany, he’ll be hungrier than ever, he’ll be there to deliver a good fight, » said the Australian to our British colleagues at Autosport.

The former HRT driver does not expect the Hockenheim circuit to suit the RB10 as Renault F1 makes significant efforts to close the gap with the Mercedes hybrid-powered cars: « There are a few long straights, on paper it’s probably not the circuit that suits us best, honestly. We are constantly striving for better, [but] a ton of horsepower won’t magically appear in the engine overnight. »

« The improvements we will receive will help us. The third sector will be more accessible for us, but for the first two, I think we will lose time. In Hungary, I think we can be optimistic, » he added.