Ricciardo really assesses the capabilities of the new car

The Visa RB team’s car and the pace that Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo periodically showed during testing made a good impression on observers, and there was talk that they would compete regularly for points in the coming season.

In theory, there really is a basis for such assessments, because the technological cooperation between Faenza and Milton Keynes, where Red Bull Racing is based, has reached a new level.

However, Ricciardo, summarizing the results of three days’ work on the track, did not support such overly optimistic sentiments and believes that VCARB01 will only allow him to claim places in the middle of the pack at the start of the season.

“I think those watching from outside, including the fans, may have been encouraged because they thought we would have a slightly modified version of the other team’s car from last year, but that is not the case,” said the Australian driver. – There were several rumors and they caused quite enthusiastic assessments of our prospects, but there is no reason for this.

We did a lot of laps and I think the pace is about what we expected. We will try to fight for places in the middle of the pack. It will take a lot of work to catch up with the leaders, but this should not be a surprise. However, the tests went quite smoothly in my opinion.

I don’t think we have any reason to be concerned or bewildered. We know what level we are at and now we just have to keep working. Compared to last year the car has certainly improved.

As the tests progressed we also managed to improve a little, but if we want to be sure that we can regularly compete for reaching the qualifying finals and a place in the top ten, we need additional reserves of speed find. This is not a pessimistic attitude at all; I only say this as a realist.”