Daniel Ricciardo keeps his spirits up after Melbourne

Daniel Ricciardo had secured an unexpected podium for Red Bull Racing at the Australian Grand Prix before being excluded for excessive fuel consumption following an error by the team which did not respect FIA instructions. The start of the season was cruel for the Australian who was disqualified for an external foul. “It was a somewhat negative conclusion to a day that was magnificent. This is not how I thought I would celebrate my first podium. »

If Red Bull Racing did appeal of the decision, Daniel Ricciardo has already had to turn the page and concentrate on the next events. The new recruit from Milton Keynes can still satisfy the potential of the RB10. “We still have a positive feeling. I did a good job behind the wheel. I got on the podium at the Australian Grand Prix and no one will take away the feeling I experienced. What happened next was out of my control, but I'd rather it happened that way than having to retire due to a mechanical problem. I'll take a podium or a disqualification like any day of the week. »

Daniel Ricciardo now hopes that his team will continue to improve to allow them to fight for victory in the next races. “We are currently fighting to be the second best team. This is obviously not where we want to be, but it already exceeds our expectations compared to the last few weeks. I think we can reduce our delay on Mercedes when we have optimized the car's settings. They will certainly progress too, but I believe we can make better progress. »

Discover the analysis of the Australian Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 1952 of AUTOhebdo, available in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.