Ricciardo won his duel against McLaren in Austin

Daniel Ricciardo found a smile again in Austin after taking 6th place in front of the McLaren de Lando Norris et Carlos Sainz Jr. The Australian started from 9th on the grid behind the two MCL34s, but he took advantage of the Spaniard's poor start and a competitive R.S.19 in the race to take the advantage.

The old pilot Red Bull believes that the McLaren MCL34 performs better over one lap but that this advantage becomes nuanced once the race starts.

“They seem to be better on a flying lap, the shooting window seems a little wider for them. I think that's why we don't always manage to get the most out of the car in qualifying. We are more likely to make a mistake, recognized Daniel Ricciardo. Once the race starts, the pace slows down and we are not at the limit of the tires. This is where our window widens and we can catch up. »

Daniel Ricciardo had the satisfaction of overtaking Lando Norris in the final laps of the Grand Prix at the cost of a great attack on the Briton.

“I wasn't sure if the TV captured the action, but I'd tried twice, admitted the Australian. I destroyed my tire when attacking Pérez (Racing Point) last week, but I tried my luck by finding the opening cleanly and this success did me good. »

With two races to go, Renault seems to consolidate its 5th place. Le Losange is 18 points ahead of Racing Point.

Discover the analysis of the US GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2441 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms, and on newsstands this Wednesday.