F1 Australian GP: Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull is a long way off

A year ago Ricciardo split the Mercedes to qualify on the front row for the Formula 1 season-opener, but he starts the 2015 season only seventh on the grid - and said that was the best possible this weekend.

"I normally try to have not that many expectations, but your expectations change a bit knowing Mercedes are two seconds quicker at the moment," he said.

"We can't realistically expect to be on pole or fight for the win tomorrow, all things being equal.

"I think considering how it's been all weekend it was definitely better [in qualifying] but it's still a long way off where we need to be."

Amid suggestions of frustration with Renault's winter efforts from the Red Bull side, Ricciardo said driveability was a clear problem.

"I can't speak so much about numbers in terms of raw horsepower but in terms of driveability and what I feel, when I get on the power there are things that need to be ironed out just to make it easier to drive," he said.

"I don't know exactly where [the deficit] comes from, it's probably the part where I thought we were a bit further down last year: the top end where the others seem to keep pulling."

RACE EXPECTATIONS LOW

Ricciardo doubts Red Bull can do much to challenge the Mercedes, Williams and Ferraris ahead of him in the race.

"If I sit around in seventh and we finish the race and learn a lot we'll take it, but obviously you always want to look forward," he said.

"I think realistically today is where we are and unless there's a curveball tomorrow we probably can't do too much more on pure pace."

Daniil Kvyat only qualified 13th in the second Red Bull, saying he felt "blind" in terms of his knowledge of the RB11 so far.

Though he felt an error at the end of his last Q2 lap was particularly costly, the Toro Rosso graduate said his main problem was a lack of familiarity with the car due to lost mileage.

"I knew the Toro Rosso upside down," he said. "Today proves to me that I don't have a very strong mutual feeling with this car yet.

"I'm expecting something from it and the car is giving back something else.

"The lap is there - it's not together, but it's there. The car's potential is there and we can do it.

"Today Daniel more or less had the maximum of the car."