Chinese GP: Daniel Ricciardo wants to exorcise ghosts of Bahrain 2012
Daniel Ricciardo believes his seventh place on the Chinese Grand Prix grid offers a chance to put his Bahrain 2012 disaster behind him
The Toro Rosso driver had qualified a breakthrough sixth in Bahrain last season, still the best effort of his Formula 1 career, but had a poor first lap.
He fell to 16th, behind team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne (who started 17th) and came home 15th.
Another strong qualifying performance means he will start the Chinese GP from seventh and the Australian believes he can do a better job in the race this time.
"It's been nearly a year since then and I've had plenty of time to reflect," he said.
"It's something I have in the back of my mind. I've been hanging out to get another Q3, another chance to fix everything I didn't do that day.
"I never repeated it last year so I definitely learned from it. It was a hard but good lesson.
"I'm going to target the guys around me and the guys in front. All the cars in front should be quicker, but if I can try and stay with them by the end it won't be too bad for us.
"I can't wait to do what I know I can."
TORO ROSSO PROVING ITS POTENTIAL
Ricciardo believes Toro Rosso had to try and see what it could do on the soft tyres, unlike some of his Q3 rivals, and thinks seventh demonstrates the progress made with the STR8.
"It was a good lap," he added. "I put it all together.
"For Q3 I definitely wanted to try and post a time, give it a crack and see how we went. It paid off well. If we'd been ninth or 10th it'd be a question mark, but to get seventh was really good for us.
"I think today we had to go for it. I think we surprised a few people and surprised ourselves.
"It all started from yesterday. We weren't extremely fast, but the way we worked was the best Friday we've had all season, the best day of testing.
"It looks like we're on the right path. We're definitely better off than we were earlier in the season."
AUTOSPORT Chinese GP coverage:
FP1 FP2 FP3 Qualifying Race Gallery Live commentary Official quotes
Previous article
Chinese GP: Felipe Massa surprised by Ferrari's rivals' pace gains
Next article
Chinese GP: final starting grid after Mark Webber punishment
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
| Author | Edd Straw |
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
