Daniel Ricciardo has his sights set on beating his team mate and the Virgin cars in the second half of 2011.
In a Q&A released by the team he said: “The target is to continue learning. I think that will come with time in the car.
“If I could manage to sneak out a personal best result or edge out [Vitantonio [Liuzzi]] and the Virgins in a few races that would be a strong result.
“I have to aim high because it is only going to help me for the future. I think that for the last few races of the year I can really start to push and aim for it.”
Ricciardo says he is losing the most time to his team mate in quick corners: “I like high speed corners but with the F111 it is taking a little time to build up to that.
“Tonio has been quicker in the high speed sectors in the first few races. That is a part that normally I am strong at so I expect to get better.
“As for the rest, I am quite a smooth driver and not too erratic; I think I drive with quite a lot of finesse. I guess that is what has got me here. Now I have to find a little bit more and be different from the others and, hopefully, better than them.”
He added: “Tonio has proved he is a very capable driver and I think he will be tough to beat.
“In Silverstone I was quite off his pace. I knew it would take a bit of time but you always want a bit more. But it was very clear to me that I have a strong team mate. It is going to take my best efforts to really try and get in front of him and to push for a personal best result for the team.
“I don’t think it is going to come through luck; it’s just going to be hard work for now. I really have to soak in as much information as I can to try and become the driver I want to be and, hopefully, the one who maybe gets a personal best result for HRT one day.”
He said he isn’t getting much pressure from the team yet, but expects it will come: “I have spoken with Colin [Kolles] a bit but haven’t had the chance to spend too much time with Geoff [Willis] yet.
“They have been pretty helpful, straightforward but also realistic on what is expected. For the first few races they have just let me build into it and not put too much pressure on me. They have said it will come.
“I’ve had some good results in junior categories and I guess they have faith in me that, sooner or later, I will be on the pace and where they expect me to be: getting some good results for the team.
“They haven’t put any real pressure on for now which I think is nice. But I also think the team expects some improvement now for the second half of the season. It is a good level of pressure, nothing I can’t handle, but I also ask a lot of myself.”
Ricciardo is continuing his World Series by Renault campaign and will race in the category at Silverstone ahead of the next Grand Prix at Spa:
“It has been a very busy year for me racing in World Series, spending some Fridays with Toro Rosso, testing the Red Bull at the end of last year and now HRT.
“I actually see it as quite a privilege to have driven so many cars already at the age of 22! It is not easy to adapt to a new car, but having jumped around in them quite a bit this year has helped me out a lot.
“In World Series everything is a bit slower than F1. But each time I sit in the car, whether it is World Series or F1, once I am in the cockpit I am mentally prepared for what the car is. I don’t have to physically drive it to remember what it is doing.”
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Alonso_McLaren
4th August 2011, 13:59
He is mad
Fixy (@)
4th August 2011, 17:17
No one can beat Liuzzi. Never. Not even Vettel can.
F1 98
4th August 2011, 19:39
Sutil did lol
Toby. (@toby)
5th August 2011, 17:36
As did Vettel. I’m not sure why Fixy thinks otherwise. 2007 results say Vettel had 6 points and his Italian team-mate had 2.
With minnows such as the STR2, you don’t look at a whole season to see how good a driver is. The car simply isn’t (wasn’t) capable of consistently delivering results , nor (sometimes) were the team. You look at one or two results from the season and the Chinese Grand Prix, especially after Sebastian’s strong race at Fuji the weekend before (let’s not go into how it unfortunately ended for himself and his Red Bull sister-team rival Webber), it’s clear that Vettel had the better potential.
BasCB (@bascb)
4th August 2011, 21:27
I take it as him having ambitions and setting tough targets. That is good in a sportsman.
Not that he will easily succeed, but if he ever wants to get into that RBRx for races he has to be doing extremely impressive things like that.
jonnyw360f1 (@jonnyw360f1)
4th August 2011, 14:04
I honestly believe he could do it after beating Liuzzi at the last race. The only slight danger I see is him continuing to race in World Series whilst in F1 – if anything were to happen, say an injury, then he could be out of both categories. However, even if he does beat Liuzzi and both Virgin cras, I can’t see him moving up to Toro Rosso or Red Bull full time from the start of next year – he might replace Buemi or Alguersuari halfway through 2012, though.
mtom99
4th August 2011, 14:13
Your doing well Daniel, keep it up.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
4th August 2011, 14:15
It’s difficult – he has been hyped up far too much without a lot of backing evidence to the claims, but even so, I think he could be a great talent.
I certainly think he can beat Liuzzi and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish ahead of the Virgin cars.
Whether or not he should be given a seat at Toro Rosso next year is also difficult, we know how easily Toro Rosso drop drivers without a second thought (Speed, Liuzzi, Bourdais etc…), but they’ve kept hold of Buemi and Alguersuari, so they must’ve seen something in those two. I don’t think either are spectacular (yet) but I think they both deserve their seats. I think Ricciardo will have to drive for HRT next season as well.
mtom99
4th August 2011, 14:53
He won the Formula 2.0, won the Formula 3 and came one position from winning the Formula Renault 3.5 in his rookie year (he finished 2 points behind the leader, they were dead even going into the last race).
I think hes done plenty to deserve the hype.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
4th August 2011, 15:16
I still disagree… I’m not saying he isn’t a very good driver, and that is quite some pedigree in the lower series as you say…
I just don’t think any driver should have that sort of pressure on them. Yes, he’s good, but at least wait until he’s driven in F1, it’s completely different to the lower series as Kamui Kobayashi has proved (poor in lower series.).
I think he’s doing a very good job at HRT but I don’t think the hype was warranted.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
4th August 2011, 15:22
Can I ask, in all seriousness, what hype?
Maybe they’re going crazy for him in Australia but over here I’ve not seen anything I’d consider ‘hype’.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
4th August 2011, 16:39
I’ve just picked up, both on here from comments I’ve seen, and other sites, that a lot of people are going crazy for him; before he made his debut that is. For example, people saying he should be put straight into the Red Bull if Mark Webber should retire/leave. I just felt that was slightly over the top.
But as I say, I am in no way slanting him, I think he is a great talent.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
4th August 2011, 16:54
OK, I thought maybe the press somewhere were calling him the new messiah or something.
Ben Needham (@ben-n)
4th August 2011, 16:58
No, not quite that dramatic, don’t worry!
Marco
5th August 2011, 8:45
What hype? :o Even before driving a single qualifying or race in Formula One he was hyped as the “next best thing” and the “new champion”… Reason? Young driver test, which proved nothing as we see now, when he is pairing an average Liuzzi in HRT… He has yet to prove that he is something extraordinary and somebody, who deserves a best car…
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
5th August 2011, 8:54
By who? Like Ben says maybe a few fans but you can hardly begrudge his fans building a driver up. It’s not as if the press has gone crazy over him.
Alonso Fan
5th August 2011, 13:13
Helmut Marko is crazy about his new messiah..
DVC
4th August 2011, 22:39
I’m Australian and I don’t think he has been hyped at all. It was completely unexpected for me to see him in F1. Even on Channel 10 who talk up Australian drivers like crazy, others have been mentioned far more.
Felipe Bomeny (@portugoose)
5th August 2011, 15:42
I think he is over hyped compared to J-E Vergne, who is overshadowed by Ricciardo, although Vergne is clearly better IMO.
daykind
4th August 2011, 14:18
He could do with an attritional race like Canada, where HRT got P13 and P14
MVRWill (@)
5th August 2011, 18:48
P13 and P17, Narain got a post-race drive through penalty, which added 20 seconds to his time.
Deurmat
4th August 2011, 14:52
I don’t see him beating Glock anytime soon.
mtom99
4th August 2011, 14:56
Glock in the faster car? Maybe not.
I don’t see Di Resta beating Massa anytime soon, but it doesn’t mean he’s not a better driver.
Deurmat
4th August 2011, 18:52
Its obvious from your other comments that you are a huge fan of Ricciardo. I don’t mind that he does well, I’m just being realistic.
Alonso Fan
5th August 2011, 13:22
Riccardo is mad boy. He don’t know what he is talking about. Maybe few…
Eggry (@eggry)
4th August 2011, 14:55
Quite ambitious, but beating Glock is almost impossible.
Todfod (@todfod)
4th August 2011, 15:01
Glock is very beatable.. D’Ambrosio has beaten in qualifying pretty often, and has come close to beating him on Sundays as well. Glock is highly overrated… the guy couldn’t beat Trulli.
Dan Thorn (@dan-thorn)
4th August 2011, 15:13
A couple of times early in the season, Jerome beat Glock yes. But since then Glock has been comfortably leading them team and doing his best to take it to Lotus.
Not beating Trulli doesn’t mean he’s overrated, especially as (in my opinion) Trulli is one of the most underrated drivers of the last ten years or more…
Anders
5th August 2011, 1:13
Just to remind you:
This is the qualifying stats:
Glock : 9 D’Ambrosio: 2
Now is that pretty often? NO it isn`t.. check your facts man
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
4th August 2011, 14:59
I am sure he will get a place in Torro Rosso next year.
Mtom99
4th August 2011, 16:15
Keith, helmut Marko called him the next vettel, and Sir Frank Williams has said that he will be the next superstar. Also look how much press coverage he’s getting, ever since he beat vettels pole time at Abu dhabi in the rb6 there has been alot of buzz around ricciardo. He is the best thing media wise for HRT.
Oliver
4th August 2011, 16:35
That annoys me so so very much. The whole “OMG! He BEAT Vettel! The beat the world champion! He MUST be amazing”.
Agreed he is a talent but that whole Abu Dhabi test situation is taken massively out of proportion. The did the test AFTER the race. The sheer amount of rubber laid (and subsequent increase in grip) on the track after the race is more than enough to warrant beating Vettel’s time. Also, the test was done at noon, ideal hot track temperature as opposed to Vettel’s done just after sunset.
If the comment your making is that he’s getting too much coverage and is hyped, I agree.
Tom11
5th August 2011, 4:20
So? He still done the time. Yes the conditions were more ideal, i’m aware of this.
All i’m saying is that the hype comes from winning formula 2, 3, and 1 position off Renault 3.5
Than doing a time faster than Vettel. That fact got alot of media coverage.
This is why Ricciardo is so hyped. He obviously has talent.
rubin
5th August 2011, 6:20
I think the fact that he beat Vettels time by so much was the significant thing, especially for a Kid who drove a similar car once before.
Marco
5th August 2011, 8:47
Exactly… It is really annoying…
Terminator
4th August 2011, 16:24
Wow…. Helmet Marko called him the next Vettel…. I thought Vettel was the favored son of Red Bull racing. We can’t believe that Helmet.
But I’d like to see Ricciardo replace Vettel at RBR when he moves to Ferrari or Merc as he said he should after 3 or 4 yrs.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
4th August 2011, 20:18
When did Seb say that?
Julian
4th August 2011, 22:47
Australia, Austria. Close enough :p
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
4th August 2011, 20:21
He is doing a really good job so far. He speaks with quite a level head on his shoulders and I actually have faith he can deliver on what he says.
He should be an interesting one to watch develop.
katederby
4th August 2011, 21:46
I think most F1 fans understand the Abu Dhabi young driver times were not comparable with the F1 times from the previous race, so I don’t really see much hype.
He is a very good, very fast, very talented driver and well deserves his F1 place but despite that he’s not even the best Red Bull young driver, in my opinion, that’s Jean Eric Vergne.
Brendan
4th August 2011, 23:23
His times in Abu Dhabi were quite impressive. Sure the track had “rubbered” in, but he also beat the other young drivers he was competing against by quite a margin. None of the other young drivers got anywhere near the permanent drives of their cars, nor did they get anywhere near Ricciardo’s time during the test. While I don’t believe there has been a lot of hype, but there has been expectation that he was going to get some type of F1 drive in 2011. Started out with the FP1 drives and then has turned into a drive for HRT which I understand Red Bull paid a bit of money for. Therefore they must have reasonable expectations of him and his talent.
Marco
5th August 2011, 8:50
There was nobody else to compare (Vettel, Webber, Buemi, Alguersuari)
Patrickl
6th August 2011, 22:24
“None of the other young drivers got anywhere near the permanent drives of their cars”
That at least compares him to all the other young drivers.
HRT Fan
5th August 2011, 0:06
If he is going to beat Liuzzi in Qualifying which shows a drivers ultimate speed, as many other factors can effect a drivers race result, he needs to get a move on.
Qualifying results currently
Liuzzi = 3
Ricciardo = 0
DVC
5th August 2011, 1:31
The margin has closed at every race though.
Alonso Fan
5th August 2011, 13:32
3=0 now. So next race will be 4=0. So its pretty close the 3 & 4 of Liuzzi.
stewy33 (@stewy33)
10th August 2011, 15:16
At the end of each F1 season we need a 3 race IROC series where every driver gets the same car set up exactly the same. Then we can see who the best driver is.
Too often we try comparing drivers of top teams to back marker teams when the equipment is completely different…
Lucas Alexander Munro - "Mr. Veloce" of Britalia
13th August 2011, 19:23
Keith, I heard today from my dad (Also called Keith) that in ‘The Sun’ a few weeks ago, there was an article about Holden wanting to enter F1 and sign up Webber and Ricciardo. Have you heard about this?