Daniel Ricciardo was left beaming following Friday practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix and expressing confidence of a top-10 place in qualifying.
In his second comeback race after breaking a bone in his left hand in several places, and following what was by his own admission a disappointing return at last weekend’s United States GP, setup changes and a greater feel for AlphaTauri’s recent upgrades were at the heart of Ricciardo’s sixth-fastest time in FP2 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
As to whether the 34-year-old can repeat the feat for qualifying, Ricciardo did not shy away from making a bold prediction.
“I’m definitely confident,” said Ricciardo. “I can’t stand here and predict where I will be because who knows in quali and what other teams might do with fuel or engines.
“But I know what I felt in the car was good, and I believe that is a top-10 car tomorrow. A top-six car would be nice. I will try to keep that going.”
Ricciardo conceded he was determined to bounce back after his overall performance in Austin where he finished last of the 17 classified finishers after sustaining damage to brake duct parts which resulted in a significant loss of aero load and aero balance.
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“I got back to the hotel Sunday night, and I wished it was Friday in Mexico,” recalled Ricciardo. “I was certainly pretty, pretty hungry to keep going after Austin.
“There were also some things we discovered after the race that made me want to get back on track and prove we do obviously have some pace, so it (Mexico practice) was fun. I do enjoy this place as well. It’s good.
“We made good progress with a few little things with set up, which if it hadn’t been for the sprint weekend in Austin we would have tried there.
“From the get-go, we were certainly comfortable, and then we just chipped away at it. So that’s positive. And I was just ready to go. It’s good to drive.
“I’m very, very hungry and motivated, which feels good, and it looks like we’re in a good place, but it is very close.
“We were P6, which is great, so not too big a gap to the front, but also behind its close. So now it’s about putting it together (for qualifying).”
Ahead of his return in Austin, Ricciardo had stated to not feeling much difference with the car in the simulator despite the addition of the upgrades.
With only one practice session at the Circuit of The Americas, Ricciardo was again unable to obtain too much of a read.
Mexico, however, has been a different story.
“Obviously it’s high downforce but low grip, but I think just with a bit bigger wing I could feel the car squat a bit nicer in the second sector in that kind of flip-flop section,” remarked Ricciardo.
“We’re probably still not a top-10 car in the high speed but I do feel like it’s a bit more connected under the rear and that felt nice.
“To have a good feeling with the car around here is nearly impossible because of the altitude, and even the fast cars don’t always feel that good here.
“So considering some strengths that I felt on a grip level like this, I think it’s positive.”
In many respects, it is the most confident Ricciardo has felt in the car since second practice for the Dutch Grand Prix prior to his crash which resulted in his broken hand and five-race lay-off.
“The lap before I crashed in Zandvoort, I was feeling pretty good,” said Ricciardo. “We made some changes before that P2, and it was a direction we were looking at going, and that felt good until it didn’t.
“So that was what we were able to pursue a little bit more (in Mexico), and I think it’s a position where I’m definitely more comfortable with this car and feel like I can attack it the way I like.
“Obviously, I’m very complimentary and positive – that’s a fact, but we will still stay level-headed (for qualifying). But it’s nice to be driving and just ready to kick some ass.”
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