Ricciardo: The race pace should be good

Yuki Tsunoda reached the qualifying final on his home stage in Japan and will start from tenth position. His teammate Daniel Ricciardo confirmed the good form of the RB team in Suzuka and showed the eleventh result. Both drivers expect to earn points in Sunday’s race.

Yuki Tsunoda (10th): “I felt a bit of pressure this weekend after a strong performance in Australia. But it’s the right pressure and I’m very happy to reach the qualifying final in front of my family, friends and fans.

As expected, the qualifying itself was not easy, but overall we did a fantastic job as a team. I keep figuring out how to get the best out of the car and the setup. Without the support of the engineers and mechanics working on the track and at the base, I would not have achieved such a result. I am very grateful to them.

Daniel has also done a great job and we certainly have the potential to score points. Maybe not just one, but several, so we’ll do our best. The first step has been taken and the second step is to finish in the top ten in tomorrow’s race. I haven’t been able to score any points yet at this circuit, but I will try to put everything together and drive a perfect race.”

Daniel Ricciardo (11th): “Today I feel mixed emotions. On the one hand I am a bit disappointed, but on the other hand I was close to the final after a difficult start to the season. Considering I did a few laps on a wet track yesterday, I qualified well today and was close to the top ten.

In the third practice I rode a few laps and then we worked hard to make up a few tenths in qualifying. I’m happy with the starting position, but it’s a shame I didn’t make it to the final, because I was only five hundredths short. After yesterday we see positive signals and that is encouraging.

The race pace should be good and I start on the free side of the track. I believe it is possible to earn points, so my goal is to be in the top ten from the first to the 53rd round.”