Red Bull’s Relentless Focus: How The Team Plans to Revitalize Daniel Ricciardo’s Racing Career
Red Bull Formula 1 boss Laurent Mekies has professed that the team is contemplating “every minute” how to provide Daniel Ricciardo with the optimal platform on which he can shine consistently. The Australian driver has faced a tumultuous season, marked by an array of mixed performances across the initial nine races, effectively shattering any hopes of a returning stint at Red Bull by the 2025 season.
Ricciardo is fighting to hold onto his position within Red Bull’s sister team, currently trailing teammate Yuki Tsunoda by 10 points, who has secured a renewal. Following harsh critiques from former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve, Ricciardo managed to bounce back at the Canadian Grand Prix, turning a fifth-place start into a morale-boosting eighth-place finish.
Ricciardo's Potential Still Alive
Mekies stands firm in his belief that Ricciardo's standout performance in Montreal, along with his earlier surge to fourth place in the Miami Sprint, are evidence of his undiminished race-winning capabilities. Mekies, who took the helm at Red Bull this term, maintains that it’s the team’s duty to equip their drivers with the necessary tools to perform at a transcendent level.
“We are focused on making sure that Daniel can perform at his best,” shared Mekies with RACER. “Events like this weekend, Miami, and China serve as potent reminders of Daniel’s high-performance potential, provided we give him what he needs.”
He emphasized the team's relentless effort: “It’s our responsibility to ensure that focus is unwavering. If you ask me what we are pondering at this exact moment? It’s all about ensuring we hit that sweet spot for him, minute by minute, to yield best results.” Mekies likens Ricciardo’s situation to that of Yuki Tsunoda, who has shown resilience by staying relevant through consistent performances.
A Need for Precision and Performance
Ricciardo showed his resilience by overcoming a clutch issue, which led to a five-second penalty, to finish eighth and score his first points this season in grand prix conditions. The eight-time F1 winner expressed relief at converting earlier weekend promise into tangible points, eyeing further improvements in upcoming races.
“There was a bit of relief to get back into the points after dropping out for a while,” Ricciardo recalled. “Being informed about a five-second penalty for a jump start was confusing since I knew I hadn’t jumped the lights. Upon reflection, I realized that perhaps there had been a minor clutch issue when I was finding the revs at the start.”
Rebounding From an Issue-Laden Start
Ricciardo elaborated on the issues saying: “Pierre [Hamelin, Ricciardo’s race engineer] mentioned a potential clutch issue. After switching to intermediate tires, we lost several positions to cars that stayed out; the new intermediates didn’t offer much grip either. As the track dried towards the end, we managed to reclaim a few positions.”
Ultimately, Ricciardo finished with four crucial points, and despite the less-than-perfect conditions, he regarded the weekend as a success. “In such tricky conditions, performing well from start to finish is demanding, especially when momentum is lacking. The varied conditions throughout the weekend made it challenging, but we managed to keep it on track, steady and smooth,” Ricciardo commented.
For Ricciardo, this performance was much-needed: “We needed this - I needed this. Though I won't boast about it, it’s a quiet morale booster.”
As Mekies and his team continue their relentless pursuit of creating the ideal conditions for Ricciardo, it’s clear that every moment counts. The broader F1 community will undoubtedly watch with bated breath to see if Ricciardo can capitalize on the team's intense focus and reclaim his spot as a top contender.