Daniel Ricciardo, Australian driver for the RB Formula 1 team, had a successful performance in the Miami Grand Prix Sprint. Despite a slow start to the season, Ricciardo was able to secure fourth place in the race, thanks to improvements made by the team to address his concerns. Ricciardo had been facing challenges from his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, but with a change in chassis and improved performance, he was able to compete for points in China until an incident with Lance Stroll. In the truncated Sprint race, Ricciardo defended his position against Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri to achieve a surprising result. Laurent Mekies, team principal of RB Formula 1, expressed his relief and praised Ricciardo’s performance, highlighting the importance of the race being held in the United States, which is like a second home race for Ricciardo. Mekies also mentioned that the team had been observing gradual improvements in Ricciardo’s performance and planned to continue making adjustments to better suit the car to his needs. The team identified and resolved issues that were affecting Ricciardo’s pace, and they are still working to understand and address any remaining concerns. The introduction of a new chassis before the sixth race was part of the team’s plan to improve Ricciardo’s comfort and performance, and this proved to be a positive step in China and Miami. The team values their ability to analyze and address drivers’ concerns, even if they may not be immediately apparent in the data. They are committed to continuously progressing in supporting Ricciardo and optimizing his performance in the upcoming races.
Ricciardo was unable to replicate his previous success during the remainder of the weekend due to difficulties with the tires, resulting in his elimination in Q1 and a 15th place. According to Mekies, this stark contrast in performance highlights the narrow margins within the highly competitive midfield group. He emphasized the need to excel in all aspects of the weekend, as failure to do so would result in immediate elimination from Q1. Mekies also praised Ricciardo’s strong performance in the Sprint qualifying and Sprint race, but acknowledged that a small mistake in the main qualifying session led to his elimination. This intense pressure to perform at a high level is what Mekies finds appealing in racing, with only 10 to 12 cars fighting fiercely for position.
