MIAMI — It was definitely a story of two classes for Daniel Ricciardo Saturday at Exhausting Rock Stadium.
The Australian driver and fan favourite turned in a large efficiency in Saturday’s F1 Dash Race, following up his P4 in Dash Qualifying Friday afternoon with a fourth-place end, securing his first factors of the season. Not solely was the consequence spectacular for Ricciardo, however it was how the driving force delivered it, as he held off a charging duo of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Oscar Piastri within the closing laps to provide Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce their finest results of the Formulation 1 season.
And you might see the aid from Ricciardo after the session, as he lingered within the TV media pen so long as he might, talking with each outlet and soaking within the second.
Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix was a a lot completely different story, that may very well be summed up in his preliminary remark to the assembled written media:
“Disclaimer, let’s discuss concerning the Dash Race,” joked the driving force to the media members, together with SB Nation.
Ricciardo didn’t advance out of Q1, qualifying in P18. If you issue within the three-place grid penalty that shall be utilized at the beginning, resulting from an incident within the Chinese language Grand Prix, which means Ricciardo shall be beginning Sunday’s major occasion in the back of the pack.
“I really feel like, it was a type of ones that was simply … I don’t assume we might have completed something. I didn’t have the grip beginning the lap,” described Ricciardo. “I genuinely felt like Lando [Norris] in SQ3 [Saturday]. I don’t know what he stated afterwards, however he was just about a second slower and you might see him sliding on the exit of Flip 1 and it was a multitude and it’s truthfully how I felt.”
Over the course of his media session, Ricciardo took one thing of a philosophical tone.
“Clearly at present was this morning was nice. And I informed the crew, ‘[l]et’s take pleasure in this for half-hour, you already know, be sure that we don’t sort of overlook about it.’ As a result of, you already know, clearly I didn’t anticipate this, however you by no means know.
“The game is … it’s a really fascinating sport, and it could actually clearly change in a short time.”
Ricciardo additionally admitted to taking some pleasure with the Dash Race earlier within the day.
“It’s so good to combat on the entrance, in fact. However then to be, simply holding off what we all know are sooner vehicles it looks like … yeah, it’s an announcement and it’s good,” stated Ricciardo. “Good to have that canine in me.
“Lots of people like to speak shit so it’s good to carry a few center fingers up, subtly.”
There’s that canine, certainly.