Ricciardo: “Bottas made the end of the race more exciting”

Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) certainly did not leave his mark on the progress of the Japanese Grand Prix contested at Suzuka, but with a third place acquired after an hour and a half of effort, the Australian kept his famous smile.

Daniel Ricciardo's eighth podium in 2017 could have ended from the start, and turned into a clash with his teammate Max Verstappen, placed inside the first turn at the start. “I saw the slow motion, but honestly, I didn't see Max coming... I mean, our cars are wider this season, and they have a bigger blind spot than before. I knew my takeoff wasn't great, and I expected Max to attack, but I didn't see him for a few moments. I then thought he hadn't gotten off to such a good start.", He explains. “So, I thought about covering the rope passage, while making sure to leave a little room in case he was there. It was when I reached the bend that I saw him. I couldn't do otherwise. I guess he was with me all the way down the straight. »

Arriving at the first braking, Daniel Ricciardo had no choice but to widen the trajectory, in order to let his comrade take the advantage. “On the outside, I was in a bad position for the exit of turn 2, while Esteban (Or with) had better speed. I will analyze all this in detail, to see if I could have improved my driving at this time. »

Once Esteban Ocon's Force India was eliminated, the Red Bull would complete most of the race alone, without really trying to get back into the lead, the gap being around ten seconds after a few laps. “I was a bit alone! Like last week in Malaysia, I lost contact with Max and Lewis (Hamilton), and I just set my own pace. »

Fortunately for him, the return from the back of Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) would increase his heart rate. “He made the end of the race more exciting. I felt attacked until the end in fact. » Enough to actively defend his place. “My goal when arriving in Japan was to finally get on the podium at Suzuka, it’s done,” rejoices Daniel Ricciardo.

On the podium, he indulged in some pranks by stealing the winner's cell phone. Result, photos shared on Lewis Hamilton’s Instagram profile:

Don't leave your phone unattended with @danielricciardo around

(See @LewisHamilton's Instagram Story) pic.twitter.com/3DYINQp4EU

— Formula 1 (@F1) 8th October, 2017

Discover the analysis of the Japanese GP carried out by our special correspondent in issue 2135 of AUTOhebdo, available from Monday evening in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.