Ricciardo is on an upward trend after a sluggish start to the season that, for a time, saw him face questions over his immediate future.

In Miami, he qualified fourth fastest for the Sprint before delivering that result in the 100km encounter.

Last weekend, he joined RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in the top 10 on the grid for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the pair losing out at the start with poor getaways.

The RB has proved a capable car when in its set-up window, but with the midfield tightly packed, it can also be vulnerable to Qualifying 1 exits.

With Saturday’s qualifying session critical in determining the outcome of Sunday’s race in Monaco, Ricciardo is curious to see how he fares.

“I go into weekends now with a fairly open mind, not with really too much expectation – certainly with some curiosity about how well we can go,” he said.

“But look, where I stand now, I didn’t drive there last year. I was a fan last year, drinking and partying and all that – not really!

“But I’m excited to be back in the cockpit. Monaco is a special place.

“Last year, watching as a fan, I never knew if I would actually get that experience again, so firstly just take it with a smile and hopefully that smile delivers some good lap times.”

RB sits sixth in the constructors’ championship with 20 points from the opening seven events. It scored just 25 points throughout 2023.

That upturn in fortunes has been, in part, attributed to Ricciardo and the set-up direction he has taken the team in.

It’s informing the team’s upgrade plan too, with the squad proving competitive even after the first wave of upgrades from rivals this season.

“It’s been really positive,” Ricciardo said of the development of the RB.

“I think the car is definitely in a good place.

“Certainly, we have a few parts to improve, but generally, everything we put on the car has helped us.

“It’s getting us… Aston [Martin] is a tea that we thought would be quite a long way down the road, and we seem to be more or less in that fight.

“It’s encouraging.”

The Monaco Grand Prix begins with Free Practice 1 from 13:30 local time (21:30 AES) on Friday.