MELBOURNE, Australia – Daniel Ricciardo hailed McLaren’s doubles result at the Australian Grand Prix as a “huge result” and said he would “rehydrate with a few beers” before leaving Melbourne.
Favorite home ground is sixth at Albert Park, one level behind teammates Lando Norris.
This is the first time since last year’s Russian Grand Prix that both McLaren drivers have finished in the top seven, and it comes after a disappointing pair of starts for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, who won just six. championship points.
“After Bahrain, I’m still very active and I know we can make a change. Charles Leclerc. “For that reason, I’ll definitely accept it. Overall, it’s definitely better. The team’s results are huge compared to the last few times.
“Things went more smoothly for all of us and we showed more. [and] I thought we had something for Mercedes very early on, but then they could remind us that they were still a bit faster. “
McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl was equally commended by the team, saying the combination of upgrades brought to Melbourne, track layout and learning from the last race in Jeddah had culminated in a strong weekend for the team.
“Very happy with today’s results,” Seidl said. This is another good step forward. “Very happy with Lando and Daniel. Ultimately you need two steady drivers who push through when it matters. This weekend they showed their class again. Results like today. This is a huge motivator for everyone on the team.”
According to Ricciardo, who was involved in the preliminary discussions, one of the main points of discussion surrounding the race weekend in Melbourne was modifying the track to make it “more driver-friendly”. . Historically, races in Melbourne have been rather volatile, with little disturbance of positions after the opening lap.
The circuit around Albert Park has been recreated and shortened by 28 meters, with seven corners modified and two turns removed entirely. The most notable changes are in Turn 1, which is now 2.5m wider than in previous years, and Turns 6 and 11, also expanded to allow for faster speeds through the latter part of the lap.
However, this year’s race turned out to be relatively similar to previous races, with less wheel racing and relatively few overtakings.
“The second half of my race was pretty lonely and it felt pretty much the same as in previous years,” Ricciardo said. “Obviously with it being a street there’s just so much that can change, so you’re trying to make the best of what you have.”
Originally, the race was expected to feature four DRS zones, the most since Formula One introduced an adjustable rear wing in 2011. However, some drivers, including Fernando Alonso, are reported. and Kevin Magnussen, raised concerns about the area between Turns 8 and 9, suggesting the high-speed left-hand bend at the end could be dangerous. Some cars have also experienced overturning at this part of the track.
“We probably had a couple of passes over Round 9 with DRS there,” said Ricciardo. “I saw Lando one round when Lando was behind Kevin, not long after the reboot, and he was pretty close to Round 9. I think with DRS he’s going to get him. Maybe it’s as simple as adding zones. fourth sector and it’s like its turn to work again.”
