Ricciardo wants to be the No. 1 at Toro Rosso
Daniel Ricciardo admits he feels ready to take on a potential number 1 driver role and wishes to dominate his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne. To achieve this, he can rely on his limited experience in Formula 1 and his contacts at Red Bull and Toro Rosso, thanks to his former position as a reserve driver.
From the presentation of the STR-7 in Jerez this Monday, the new ride for the Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers, the Australian driver expressed his ambitions for the upcoming season: he aims to regularly finish in the points whenever he gets the chance.
According to him, Toro Rosso started the second half of the 2011 season on a rather solid foundation, and he has no doubt that the small team will continue on this momentum next year: « In terms of performance and given what was shown at the end of the championship, I think we can aim for points. Of course, it’s easier said than done… But I think I can benefit from a fairly competitive car this season, at least more than the one I drove last year! », Ricciardo noted, referring to the 11 Grand Prix he participated in under the HRT banner.
He insisted on acknowledging the work done by the entire team during this winter break regarding the new car: “We have made a great step forward and it is an important milestone that gives us a lot of hope. All the team members are very happy with this STR-7 that we have presented. I was able to discover the important stages of its development by visiting Faenza a few times. We will then see how it performs on the track!” declared the very enthusiastic 22-year-old.
The Australian was also asked about his status as an experienced driver within the team, as his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne is still a rookie: « Yes, I would like to lead the team. That’s the goal. However, the team hasn’t set a leader or anything else. But obviously, if I can be in that position, I wouldn’t refuse. It’s a bit of everyone’s objective… », he concluded.
