Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Ricciardo hopes Spanish F1 GP is "anomaly" after Renault failure to score

Daniel Ricciardo is hoping that the Spanish Grand Prix proves to be an "anomaly" after his Renault Formula 1 team missed the points for the first time in 2020

The team scored four points in the previous 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone courtesy of Esteban Ocon's eighth place finish.

However, Ricciardo could finish only 11th at Barcelona, while Ocon also missed out in 13th place.

Both drivers ran one-stop strategies, which emerged as an approach that worked for Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who took seventh place.

Ricciardo added that the high-speed rounds at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza should suit the RS20 car more.

"I certainly hope this weekend was a bit of an anomaly, a bit of an Achilles' heel for us," said Ricciardo.

"I think everyone is so familiar with this track, and to find something extra, it is challenging.

"But we've had good pace all year, and that didn't really correlate to that around here, so hopefully it's a one-off.

"We'll obviously try and learn from it and hopefully Spa, Monza, these are tracks we're normally pretty strong on, and we should have a better run, and put this one behind us.

"I'm still convinced the car is improved and better, and I'm still convinced we can be a points car every other weekend.

"In qualifying if we had that extra half a tenth, we'd start in the points, and we would probably have finished there.

"We've just got to be perfect, and that goes onto us drivers as well, we can't put a foot wrong, because this midfield battle is so tight."

Ricciardo admitted it was always going to be a struggle to make the points from 12th on the grid at a track where passing is difficult.

"It was just small margins again, we were so close to the top 10.

"We don't quite have that track position. We were just behind Vettel when he pitted, and he managed to get seventh in the end.

"There was maybe a little bit there that we missed, but we'll have a look and try and figure out our mistakes, and do better in two weeks' time.

"It's a shame when with both cars you finish, but no points.

"I certainly feel it was a little bit more tricky for us round here than Silverstone, I think everyone else was more competitive, and it's a track that everyone knows so well.

"That already makes it a bit difficult in itself, finding that extra tenth. I think Spa could be better, you can overtake and have a bit more fun than around here.

"It's one of those tracks where it's a bit frustrating, you get close to another car and have a bit more pace, but it is hard and you lose grip from the tyres and downforce.

"I saw a chunk of points in front of me, we were all closing up to Vettel, but a little too late."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Hamilton: Pirelli needs better tyres for F1 2022 season to appeal to fans
Next article McLaren first team to sign F1 Concorde Agreement

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe