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Ricciardo 'blown away' by his pace

Daniel Ricciardo says he was 'blown away' by his performance on his first day of action at the Macau Grand Prix - after securing the provisional second spot on the grid

The British Formula 3 champion, who is making his debut at Macau this weekend, stayed out of trouble to deliver an impressive performance that makes him a clear contender for victory.

Delighted with the result, Ricciardo said that the performance had surprised even him.

"I'm a bit blown away to tell you the truth," he told AUTOSPORT. "It has not only exceeded day one's expectations, but it has exceeded the whole weekend's expectations!

"To be honest, it is my first time ever on any type of street circuit and I feel quite comfortable with it. It's not as daunting as I would have thought."

Ricciardo praised the work of his Carlin team and engine supplier Volkswagen in delivering him a car that has allowed him to do so well.

"For sure Carlin prepare a quick car everywhere but especially here each year they do a good job as well," he said. "Volkswagen have also given us a few mods for the weekend, so having the confidence in the car definitely helps.

"I have also studied a lot of on boards over the years and tried to build my way up to it. I've told myself that if these guys can do it then I should be able to. It is really just a confidence thing."

And despite having taken the British crown this year, Ricciardo is under no illusions about the importance of a good result in Macau.

"Even though it is just a one-off race for the year, everyone wants to win it," he explained. "There is a huge list of previous winners over the years and it is very prestigious. It is not a championship, but to walk away with the win would be as big as the championship to me."

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