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Ricciardo finished ninth in last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix after RB engineers opted to mix and match components across the team’s two cars in an attempt to understand its newest package.
A new floor, rear wing, sidepod, engine cover, and front corner were introduced for the Spanish Grand Prix, rushed in an attempt to bolster the squad’s performance.
It was a move that backfired as Ricciardo could do no better than 15th in the race, and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda only 19th.
With only a week between the Spanish and Austrian Grands Prix, the team elected to use the sole practice session at the Red Bull Ring as a test session; with different spec components across its cars in an attempt to run back-to-back comparisons.
That proved moderately successful and, in the Sprint, the two RBs finished 13th and 14th respectively.
However, Ricciardo was still not entirely happy with his car and further changes ahead of qualifying moved it forward again.
“I definitely had a few more changes before Sprint Qualifying,” he explained of the setup development as a result of the approach.
“That was hard. I mean, we had to do it after what we learned from FP1 but it was hard because Sprint Quali you get one medium – it’s not like you can get two sets of tyres and two chances.
“I felt like my lap wasn’t too bad, but I just missed out,” he added of falling short of a Qualifying 2 berth by 0.024s.
“Then a little bit more understanding [on Saturday] and Quali went a lot better.
“Friday was a bit difficult but then the weekend got more and more, better and better, so happy with the way we were able to recover and learn quickly.”
Austria was the middle leg of a triple header, which concludes at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
While RB made progress over the course of the event at the Red Bull Ring, Ricciardo suggests it will need to move forward again in Silverstone.
“I would say some elements we have answers and we feel okay with, and others less so,” he confessed of the Spanish upgrade package.
“There’s still a little bit of understanding to take place, but in seven days I think we did a good job to come [to Austria] with a better package, or a better understanding of it.
“I think overall, Haas and Alpine were quicker than us,” he added.
“So we need to find another little bit for Silverstone or we could be again on the backfoot.”
RB currently sits sixth in the constructors’ championship on 30 points, while a haul of 12 points in Austria has seen Haas surpass Alpine to sit seventh, with 19 points.
Opening practice for the British Grand Prix begins at 12:30 local time on Friday (21:30 AEST).
