The Australian had a difficult start to the 2024 campaign as he did not find himself as confident in driving the VCARB 01 as his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
His struggles have even led to speculation that he could be fired before the end of the campaign if the situation does not improve by the summer break.
But after more encouraging results in recent races, which coincided with a new chassis in China, RB has made it clear that it maintains complete confidence in what Ricciardo is capable of producing.
And while there is still work to be done to get Ricciardo more comfortable with the car’s handling, RB team principal Laurent Mekies has no doubt that the eight-time winner du Grand Prix is the right man to do the job.
Asked by Autosport if the team believed Ricciardo had exactly the same potential as when he returned to F1 last year, Mekies replied: “Yes, absolutely.
“It’s the DNA of our job to try to identify the settings needed for the car and the drivers to perform well, and that’s what we’re doing with our two drivers.
“We have seen strong growth in Yuki and we see a Daniel returning to his trajectory.”
Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB 01
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Although Ricciardo is yet to score any points this year, Mekies believes bad luck played a bigger role than lack of ability.
He says progress has been evident since the Saudi Grand Prix, but difficult results have been masked by unforeseen incidents like his first-lap exit in Japan and being hit by Lance Stroll behind the car of security in China.
“Already in Saudi Arabia, we were starting to say that we were seeing things that made us understand how to better support it,” Mekies added. “So yes, the trajectory is good.
“We haven’t reached the finish line there and we have a few things to do at the halfway point to help him feel better in the car and to make sure our car best suits his style piloting.”
“But it will certainly be a nice confidence boost to see that there is tangible progress like we have seen over this period. [the China] weekend.”
While Ricciardo has faced criticism from the outside, Mekies said that internally the team has seen nothing but determination from him to master the problems he has faced.
“Contrary to what is perhaps perceived from the outside, throughout this difficult start to the season, he was very focused, very calm, very rational,” he said.
“We looked at the car’s limitations and what it needed to go faster. Some steps can be done quickly, but you need to understand them first. Then, once you understand, some steps allow you to act quickly, and others will take more time.
“We’ve tried to check as many boxes as possible, but we’re certainly not stopping there.”
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