Daniel Ricciardo, Australian driver of the RB VCARB 01, expressed his frustration at not being able to complete a full lap during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix. This hindered his chances of securing a starting position among the top 10. Despite reaching the second phase, Ricciardo only managed the 14th fastest time in Q2, three positions behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. He lamented the fact that he couldn’t put together a single flawless lap, always feeling that there was room for improvement in certain parts of the track. Ricciardo admitted his disappointment with his performance, but remains optimistic about the team’s overall performance. Although he believes there is still some untapped potential, he acknowledges that his current position is in line with expectations. While hoping for a better result, Ricciardo recognizes that 12th place would have been a more realistic outcome. He ended up more than a tenth of a second behind the cut for Q3, but believes that narrow margins made his result look worse than it actually was. Ricciardo is disappointed in himself for not being able to capitalize on the opportunities presented during qualifying. He recognizes that qualifying is the time to deliver and regrets not being able to do so.
Regarding the extent of his difficulties, Ricciardo explained how braking for Turn 1 was an area where he had difficulty figuring out, despite understanding what needed to change.
“It was like I struggled to put it all together. I felt that if I pushed too hard in one corner, then I would probably mess up the next corner,” he clarified.
“So I felt it was a bit tricky to consistently improve in every corner. I felt like yeah, you gain a bit here, lose a bit there, then recover and then… So it was a challenge.
“But then, for example, in Turn 1, I missed the apex several times, just couldn’t get the front of the car in. But every lap it was like ‘Oh yeah, I know where it is,’ you know, brake and turn a little bit earlier, but I would still be looking beyond the apex when I got there. Yeah, I just missed it a bit.
“Definitely a bit in the setup or the feel with the tires. But like I said, I would expect to be able to find that in a few laps in qualifying.”
When asked if it was still possible to score points for RB, Ricciardo replied: “Definitely believe we can still do it. I think, as you said, everything is close, so there’s a lot at stake.
“I think you just need that extra tenth or two in the race and manage the tires better, so definitely can fight for the points.
“I’ll shake this off tonight and in about 60/90 minutes I’ll feel better and get ready for tomorrow.
“Excited to race again, for sure. I think qualifying was fun. Obviously it’s intense and you feel those nerves again. But yeah, looking forward to the races.”
Nico Hulkenberg made an impressive lap to reach Q3, but with uncertainties about Haas’ long-run pace, Ricciardo believes RB can aim for a top 10 result in the race.
He added: “I mean, obviously Nico did a great job today and if you look, obviously not saying this from last year, but if you look at last year, they normally had more difficulties on race day, so if that’s the same trend, maybe it’s a car we can find.
“We weren’t that bad on the long runs. So there’s a bit of optimism that we can kind of drag ourselves forward.
“And it’s the first race. Anything can happen too. So I just have to keep my head down and the rest will come.”
© 2024
The thrilling final of the World Cup took place yesterday at the National Stadium. The match was played between the national teams of Brazil and Germany. After an intense game, Germany emerged victorious, winning the title of world champions.
Brazil started the game with an early goal, scored by striker Neymar. However, Germany did not let themselves be shaken and managed to equalize the game with a goal from Müller. From then on, the game became even more intense, with both teams seeking victory at all costs.
In the second half, Germany managed to score two more goals, with Müller and Kroos, putting the team in the lead. Brazil tried to react, but could not overcome the German defense. At the end of the game, Germany emerged victorious with a score of 3-1.
After the final whistle, the German players celebrated the title with great euphoria. The Brazilian fans, on the other hand, were disappointed with the result, but recognized the good performance of the opposing team.
The World Cup is one of the most anticipated sporting events by sports fans around the world. The competition brings together the best national football teams, providing exciting moments and high-level games.
Now, Germany becomes the world champion and celebrates the title won. Brazil, on the other hand, will have to wait another four years to try to conquer the coveted trophy again. The next edition of the World Cup will be held in Qatar in 2026, and expectations are already high.
Football fans around the world eagerly await the next World Cup, which promises to be even more exciting. In the meantime, the teams will continue to prepare and seek to improve their skills to achieve glory in the greatest football tournament on the planet.
