LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - OCTOBER 07: Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Scuderia AlphaTauri prepares to drive on the grid during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on October 07, 2023 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)
After Ricciardo’s Japanese GP DNF, F1 pundit Richard Bradley declared that Lawson would replace him after the Miami GP. More such critical voices were heard in the media. But coming into Miami, VCARB found themselves in a pleasant place. With a new floor upgrade to their VCARB01, both Ricciardo and Tsunoda felt confident in the only practice session. However, things changed in Sprint Qualifying. While the Japanese driver couldn’t make it out of SQ2, his Aussie teammate beat Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari, both Aston Martins, McLarens, and Mercedes’ to secure P4 on the grid.
Formula One F1 – Bahrain Grand Prix – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 2, 2024 RB’s Daniel Ricciardo ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix REUTERS/Hamad I MohammedBuilding on his qualifying performance, Ricciardo aced the 19-lap Sprint race. He defended hard to keep Sainz’s SF24 behind and finished in P4—VCARB’s highest finish. “Let’s go, baby! Whoo!” the Honey Badger exclaimed on his post-race team radio. In the post-race F1TV interview, he said, “It felt awesome. Obviously, fighting towards the front feels so nice. To be honest, every lap I was able to hold Carlos off, I gave myself a pat on the back.”
“(There was) nothing left that I could give,” he added. “I knew that was what it would take. The team deserves a real… I can’t swear, but we’re going through a bit of stuff to get here. So it’s also nice to remind some people,” Ricciardo said cryptically, shutting down his critics.
It seems as if the tides of success are shifting in Ricciardo’s favor after VCARB changed his car’s chassis. Interestingly, he had predicted his turnaround two days before it materialized at the Sprint Race today.
