"The speed is there, it's just finding it consistently": Daniel Ricciardo addresses finding the final missing piece of the puzzle

Daniel Ricciardo believes that consistently strong performances will change the complexion of his career trajectory. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda in Monaco, the RB driver acknowledged his slump in performance but was determined to turn it around.

With Laurent Mekies backing up the former Red Bull Racing driver, there has been little to no room left by RB to show their confidence in him. Despite Yuki Tsunoda’s strong form, the French team principal has insisted that Daniel Ricciardo is the driver to propel the team further.

Upon returning to the Faenza squad in Hungary last year, the Aussie has managed to secure the highest qualifying position on the grid for RB in the last 12 races, despite his Japanese teammate being more consistent.

A fourth place in the Miami GP sprint race has been the strongest performance by Daniel Ricciardo in the last seven race weekends. He also received praise from Red Bull Racing senior advisor Helmut Marko, who reserved his judgment on the Australian driver’s slow start to the season.

Acknowledging the fact that it's going to take more than one good performance, the 34-year-old felt consistency would be key to making a bid for a seat in 2025. Out of contract by the end of the year, his performance slump has drawn excessive scrutiny on his form and ability to deliver, further questioning his chances of being on the grid.

Both RB drivers have acknowledged the limited operating window of the car and its limitations to help them achieve a competitive result. Given the RB car and its comfort level, Daniel Ricciardo had expressed his discomfort with the car in the initial rounds of the season. At tracks like Saudi Arabia, Australia and Imola, the pace deficit to his teammate was significant.

In China, the team gave Daniel Ricciardo a new chassis which he claimed made him more comfortable with the car. But the ability of the RB car to convert a strong qualifying performance into a solid result needs to be coupled with fortunate scenarios in reality.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner felt the speed has always been there but he needed consistent performances as he had in the past to make it count.

Asked by Sportskeeda how he planned to make a bid for a 2025 spot on the grid in a car with a limited operating window, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“I think things like Miami are a way which I can obviously remind people that I can still produce, some pretty good things in a race car. But you know its like I won in McLaren, but less than a year later I was then fired from McLaren. I know one race isn’t enough. Its good because it shows people ‘he can do it’. But obviously its a long season and doing something spectacular once isn’t going to be enough to satisfy people in 24 races.”

“Look Miami was great because it confirmed to myself that I still have the ability to do it at the top level. But its now really what I am searching for myself is to be able to do it like unconditionally. I look back at my career ten years ago, every weekend I was able to do something high standard. There wasn’t many off weekends and thats something which I have had more than I would like. That’s really the part I need to fix. Once I get the consistency then I think there is, thats really the only thing. The speed is there, its just about finding it consistently without really too much compromise.”

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Daniel Ricciardo believes a strong performance at the Monaco GP could change his fortunes

Daniel Ricciardo believes a strong performance at the Monaco GP could propel him back into the race for the Red Bull Racing seat for 2025. After the Abu Dhabi race last year, the narrative surrounding him was that he was the key contender for his former seat.

Given that the other contenders for the same seat such as Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz are in a Ferrari and a Red Bull, the fact remains that he has a limited operating window and an inconsistent car to prove his point. Downplaying the bid for the Red Bull drive, he felt circuits like Monaco could open up possibilities for better performances.

Having been successful in the past at the Monaco circuit himself, Daniel Ricciardo reflected upon Esteban Ocon’s performance at the Monaco GP last year. The Alpine driver had qualified fourth and finished in third place on the podium, propelling the Australian driver’s confidence to believe that a strong driver in a midfield car could deliver a surprise result. He felt a strong performance in Monaco adds legitimacy to a driver’s ability to deliver.

Asked by Sportskeeda how he planned to make a bid for the 2025 Red Bull Racing seat in an RB compared to his counterparts in better cars, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“Prime contender in the media’s eyes. Like no one knows really..”

Asked how he would make his bid to secure his future at large at this stage of the season, he replied:

“Its really. Like this obviously a race where, you know you look at Esteban Ocon put in a fabulous lap in Q3 whatever and qualified third or fourth maybe. This is a place where, I say you need more than one race to do something, but doing it here carries a bit more weight. So yeah will turn it to something spectacular.”

“I can do it, but its just making sure I do. Unlike McLaren, I think with McLaren I was definitely running quite low in confidence. Even though the start of my season hasn’t been as much as I wanted, my confidence is high. So I think I come into this race with the true belief that I can do something very good.”

Daniel Ricciardo reckoned his confidence wasn’t dented despite the slow start to the season, unlike his tenure at McLaren, where it had spiraled out and reflected in his results. With the hunger to prove a point and secure his future, the Perth-born driver is determined to deliver a special result in Monaco.

With qualifying results being key to a good race outcome, the undulating circuit with a challenging elevation has been a happy hunting ground in the past for the famous late barker. He has currently scored five points for the team with his result in Miami, coming into the principality with the confidence to secure more.