The Australian driver spoke at the RB launch event in Las Vegas, where they unveiled their new car for the 2024 F1 season, named VCARB 01. Ricciardo’s expectations are ambitious considering the team’s performance in 2023 when they finished eighth in the F1 Constructors’ Standings as Scuderia AlphaTauri. This result was only possible due to a late season upgrade to their car. The team has undergone significant changes, including new leadership with CEO Peter Bayer and Team Principal Laurent Mekies, as well as key technical hires. Ricciardo is optimistic about the team’s future, stating that there are new personnel and big partners joining. He believes that the team is taking itself more seriously and is now ready to compete at the front of the midfield. Ricciardo appreciates the changes that have taken place and describes the team’s mindset as having a point to prove. He believes that aiming for top-five finishes should be the target, with the possibility of podium finishes if they achieve that position. While winning is the ultimate goal, Ricciardo remains realistic and acknowledges that they need to continue making progress. He believes that top-five results are achievable, and he hopes they can be achieved in the first half of the season.
Ricciardo is preparing for the upcoming season, his second with the Faenza team after replacing Nyck de Vries midway through 2023. Despite this, he never felt like he was out of the game.
In his own words, he stated: “I feel good. Unlike everyone else, I didn’t require a long off-season due to the shortened 2023 season. It was still nice to go home, but I didn’t feel the need to relax too much.
“It’s like a pre-season now. I’ve already experienced that, I’ve prepared myself, and I had a headstart last year, so I’m familiar with the team. When Bahrain comes, there are no more uncertainties. I can’t predict our final position there, but in terms of preparation, there are no more doubts,” he explained.
“Personally, the off-season didn’t feel like I was just lounging around,” Ricciardo added. “I stayed mentally engaged, so getting back in the car won’t feel like I haven’t driven for months. I expect to get back into the groove right away.
“I would say that towards the end of last season, we made significant progress with the car. Initially, it worked well for me, and then Yuki [Tsunoda] found its strengths with his driving style, especially during a successful Abu Dhabi race.
“There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic as we approach the start of the year,” concluded the driver, who has won eight grand prix races.
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According to the Source grandprix247.com