The Australian ended opening practice 11th fastest, 0.7s away from the session’s best, though he fell a place in Free Practice 2 with his pace 1.257s away from that recorded by Charles Leclerc.
Ricciardo’s RB team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, was marginally faster in both, suggesting the RB is in a good position heading into the business end of the weekend.
“The morning, it started off, we were, as a team, started off on the front foot,” Ricciardo noted.
“A few others probably found a little more [in Practice 2], but I think we’re still definitely within a shot of Q3.”
Following opening practice, Peter Beyer, RB CEO, admitted that Ricciardo was less happy with his car than Tsunoda was but was cautiously optimistic.
“We had focused really since Jeddah on the balance of the car, aero balance, mechanical balance, really making sure that we get the optimum out of the car,” he said.
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“We have brought a new rear wing, which we had on both cars, that seemed to work.
“Both drivers felt really good in the car, actually, and Yuki probably even a bit more because he didn’t really have much to say about the car.
“And for Daniel, we think we know what to do.”
Practice was punctuated by drivers sliding off the road, none more so than Alex Albon, who drew the red flag in the latter stages of Free Practice 1.
Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and others also had excursions, though to a far less dramatic consequences.
The Albert Park circuit remained dusty, despite a busy support programme starting on Thursday.
“The grip’s pretty good, actually,” Ricciardo opined of conditions.
“There’s a lot of corners where you’re just, because it’s still a street circuit, there’s a lot of corners where you do put it on the edge.
“Obviously, you see Albon have the accident in Free Practice 1.
“I don’t think it’s due to track conditions; I think it’s just due to track characteristics.
“But yeah, the conditions and the grip was pretty good. It was fun to get stuck into it.
“A little bit of work to do,” he added of his pace, “but nothing too crazy.
“There’s, as always, a bit I can improve and then a bit of fine-tuning with the car, and it should give us a good chance.”
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