Daniel Ricciardo is expecting Red Bull to have made some progress for next weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix following a disappointing start to the 2015 F1 season in Australia.
Ricciardo finished in a lowly sixth place at his home grand prix last weekend as Red Bull struggled to get the new RB11 car up to speed thanks to issues with the Renault power unit.
With Mercedes romping to another one-two finish some 30 seconds ahead of the field, team advisor Helmut Marko suggested that Red Bull could quit the sport unless some steps were taken to equalize the field.
However, Ricciardo remains focused on his own display, and hopes that Red Bull can make a step forward ahead of the race in Malaysia on March 29.
“I’m feeling good coming into Malaysia,” Ricciardo said. “I know we have a lot of things to improve on and I’m optimistic that we can achieve some of those in Malaysia, which will give us some more performance.
“I’m just hanging out waiting to drive now, but it’s good. The season has started now and I think if anyone had any first race jitters they’re gone and I think Malaysia should run a lot smoother for everyone.”
Held in the nation’s monsoon season, the Malaysian Grand Prix is often affected by rain, but Ricciardo explained how racing in difficult conditions can be a very satisfying experience.
“I think racing in the wet is a bit of a love/hate relationship,” Ricciardo said. “Sometimes you have a really good wet race and all of a sudden you’re the rain master and other times it just doesn’t quite work.
“Generally I think it’s a really good challenge, visibility is a lot worse and the car is obviously a lot harder to manage. I think if you master the rain conditions it is a very satisfying feeling.”
