Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian driver, believes that the progress made by RB since the beginning of 2024 demonstrates that the team is moving towards a more formidable position in Formula 1. The revelation that RB would take advantage of increased technical connections with Red Bull raised suspicions that the team could challenge the top five teams. However, expectations that the VCARB 01 car would resemble the champion Red Bull RB19 were quickly proven wrong, and RB had a rather weak start to the season. Nevertheless, the team has consistently scored points, with Ricciardo finishing fourth in the Sprint and Yuki Tsunoda finishing seventh in the race in Miami. RB maintained this momentum last weekend, with both cars qualifying in the top ten at Imola, although slow starts resulted in only one point. However, Ricciardo sees the positives in RB’s disappointment with Tsunoda’s tenth place, as they managed to beat their main rivals and secure a point. He believes this is just the beginning of something much more powerful for the team in the future.
Both Ricciardo and Tsunoda were disappointed with their race in Imola due to a recurring issue with their starts. This problem caused them to lose positions and forced them to make early pit stops, leaving them vulnerable. Ricciardo revealed that the team conducted a thorough analysis of data from all departments to address these issues. They have increased their focus on improving their starts, ensuring they are doing everything possible in terms of preparation, including working closely with the team’s tire and clutch specialists. They have realized that other teams are consistently getting better starts, indicating that they are missing something and need to identify and correct the problem. To overcome this challenge, they are questioning themselves and their processes, and striving to be more open and innovative. Despite the limited time between races, they are determined to make the necessary improvements.
