Ricciardo and Renault, professional work

There are circuits like that where we never got the hang of it. We can resign ourselves to it or try to reverse the trend. Daniel Ricciardo chose the second option and took the bull by the horns to try to tame this Sochi track whose secrets had always escaped him. 

Before heading to Russia, the Australian immersed himself in the data and examined the on-board cameras. He realized that his favorite settings were perhaps not working on a route that he describes as “ weird because flat ". He then agreed to take risks by being more aggressive, even if it meant leaving his comfort zone. 

The gamble paid off as Ricciardo will start from 5th place on the grid on Sunday at the Russian Grand Prix. 

« I am happy to sign a new Top 5 in qualifying, said the Perth native after the session. We've really been into Saturdays for a while now. 

I was never very strong on this Sochi circuit. I knew I had to work to correct two or three things. 

I think I did my homework before arriving here. We were competitive in free practice and we confirmed in qualifying. So far, so good ! »

Author of the benchmark in Q2, Ricciardo finished very close to the 4th fastest time of Sergio Pérez, the driver Renault failing only 0”045 behind its rival Racing Point. All with a slower time in Q3 compared to Q2. What cause regrets?

« Everyone got a little fired up after Q2 and it’s always cool to appear at the top of the timesheet, replied the person concerned. 

It’s a question of warming up the tires, I was talking about it just before with the engineers. My performance in Q2 was not far from a perfect lap. I knew it would be difficult to even match such a performance. 

Generally, you always save a little for Q3, but in Q2 I felt like I was in the ideal window. Everything seemed in its place, starting with the tires. 

From the end of the launch lap, when exiting the last corner to attack the attempt, I felt that the grip was there. I arrived at turn 2, which is the first braking zone, and the tires were biting as they should. I have not experienced any unexpected blocking. Everything looked crystal clear. 

In Q3, I have the impression that the track has lost a few degrees. I stayed in the garage for something like 20 minutes because I signed my lap in Q2 then there was the red flag and I didn't come out until Q3. I think we didn't manage to prepare the tires perfectly on the launch lap. 

In hindsight, we would have tried something different to keep the tires warm. It's a question of feeling. That said, we could have scraped a tenth, probably no more, with better preparation. There was no way to go under the 1’32” mark ». 

His teammate Esteban Ocon confirms the good performances of the R.S.20 with the 7th fastest time in qualifying, less than 3 tenths behind Ricciardo. If the Frenchman suffers from the comparison with his garage neighbor since the start of the season on Saturday afternoon, he still had a smile on Saturday evening. 

« I think the gap has narrowed over the last few races, confided Ocon. I'm much happier. 

As for today's session, my Q2 was seriously compromised by the red flag. As a result, I ended up with a single set of fresh tires in Q3. I only had one real chance because I had to do my first timed lap in Q3 with a worn out gear. 

In the end, the result is more than honest. We've been in the game since the start of the weekend, even though the track really wasn't going to suit us. ».  

The Renault drivers have proven that we can refuse fate. To be confirmed in the race on Sunday.