Ricciardo looking to ‘keep that edge’ after strong weekend in Canada

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to ‘keep it rolling’ after bouncing back and finishing in the points.

It’s been a difficult start to the 2024 season for Daniel Ricciardo, who has come under fire for his lack of results. This is in stark contrast to his teammate, the Australian had struggled to secure any points in the opening five rounds.

Heading to Canada, Ricciardo was under the limelight again, after Jacques Villeneuve criticised the No.3 driver, questioning why he was still on the grid.

Ricciardo responded back to the 1997 World Champion by slotting his car into 5th, his best Qualifying position in RB, he continued his results into Sunday when he crossed the line in 8th. After difficult weekends in Italy and Monaco, Ricciardo bounced back, making a strong case for his quest in securing his seat for 2025.

Ricciardo gives his thoughts

Looking back on the weekend, Ricciardo says he wants to ‘keep it rolling’ and bring in more strong performances for the team:

“I’ve just got to keep it rolling,” He said to Autosport.

“That little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I’ve got to make sure that that stays there, and just keep that level of intensity

“I don’t know if it’s the need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me.

“There is certainly some hope that it is [a turning point]. Obviously, I’ve got to repeat it and back it up to prove it.

“But I’m definitely happy with some things that I’ve acknowledged since Monaco, and it’s no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother.

“It’s just making sure that we keep tapping into it and that I’m holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and happy-go-lucky. Making sure I keep that edge about me.”

‘The race was getting away from us’

The result didn’t come without some hurdles. Ricciardo was issued with a five-second penalty after jumping the start, which hindered his race and saw him drop positions. Continuing his conversation with Autosport, Ricciardo expressed his disappointment about the penalty and how the rainy conditions that hit the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve made things difficult:

“I felt like the race was getting away from us,” he said.

“The start itself, we were in drift city, so I lost a couple positions there. Around turn two I remember Lewis [Hamilton] just literally breezing by me.

“I knew I didn’t jump the lights, but I recall maybe the car was creeping when I was looking at the lights, so I guess we had probably a clutch issue.

“When the rain was coming, we pitted for new intermediates and the others stayed out, and we just lost track position there.

“So, I felt like the race was kind of getting away from us, but then with the slick at the end, we managed to claw our way back past some cars and a nice bag of points.” He concluded.

Featured image credits: Rudy Carezzevoli via Getty Images