Ricciardo aims to fight Ferraris after astonishing qualifying result
Daniel Ricciardo created a stir by qualifying his Red Bull in second place for the Chinese GP, giving a clear sign of the potential of the package once Renault adds some performance.
The Australian was helped by Lewis Hamilton hitting problems and neither Ferrari driver getting a perfect final lap in Q3, but nevertheless it was a strong performance.
“Obviously we’ve only had a couple of races but up until now, this point, I think we’ve exceeded or maximized everything that we’ve got,” said Ricciardo. “We showed true dry pace today. I got a front row here a couple of years ago but that was in the wet. We always know we’re a bit stronger in the wet, at least the last few years, so to get a front row in dry conditions, it’s awesome – and yeah, it’s testament to how far we’ve come since the end of 2015.
“We’ll try to keep doing it. It feels good to be back up here. I know it’s only quali but the plan is to be back here tomorrow after the race We’re kicking goals at the moment. Really happy.”
Ricciardo remains optimistic for the race, despite Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel discounting Red Bull.
“I think today’s encouraging. If we can have this on one lap, in the race we should still be pretty competitive. We’re normally a bit better off in the race. Let’s see. Hopefully we’ve got a race with Ferrari. I think Nico, starting on the softs, should be in good shape, but let’s see.
“I hope to have a race with the Ferrari and if we can battle for the podium, that will be awesome. The track changed quite a lot today, this afternoon. Compared to yesterday I felt the balance was quite a long way different. It depends if it goes back towards yesterday's track conditions, or if it stays as today.
“That will probably dictate where we end up in the race, what the track temp does tomorrow and if it wears out the front tires or wears out the rears. I think that’s going to be a determining factor. Hopefully we’re on the good end of that. I think we should be. Looking forward to it.”
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