Ricciardo: co-operation with Vettel essential amid Red Bull crisis
Daniel Ricciardo says he and team-mate Sebastian Vettel are having to put their own personal Formula 1 ambitions aside so they can focus on working together to help Red Bull recover
With the reigning champion outfit having had a troubled time throughout winter testing, it is not expecting to start the 2014 campaign at the front.
Ricciardo says that although both he and Vettel want to end the season on top in the intra-team fight, for now a selfless approach is needed to move Red Bull forward.
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"He has been open," said Ricciardo about the Vettel relationship during a media conference in Melbourne on Wednesday.
"We are not really at a point yet where we are trying to out-do each other. It is about bringing the team around us to get the team to a better level first.
"We have spoken quite a bit about the car together one on one.
"We had a pretty difficult testing, so we've been trying to pinpoint what we need to do, and what the team needs to address.
"We had a lot going on and there was more than one issue at times. We really had to talk and make sure we were getting across the right thing, so that the team could move forward, and not try to confuse them too much."
RED BULL PLIGHT REDUCES HOME PRESSURE
Ricciardo also reckons that with a difficult start expected for Red Bull, the pressure on him from his home fans and media is much less.
"In a way I guess it lowers a little bit the attention or expectation, but at the same time it doesn't change my approach," he said.
"I am not going to walk on the grid on Sunday and say, 'yeah whatever, it is just another race.' I still think I will carry and maintain that intensity I would have, and I still have a job to do.
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"I still have Seb alongside me which is going to be a big challenge no matter what position we are fighting for.
"So I still have a bit on my plate and have to be at the top of my game."
Regular videos from Melbourne and pre-Australian Grand Prix analysis on The Racer's Edge with F1 Racing and AUTOSPORT throughout the Formula 1 2014 build-up week
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