Ricciardo had a rough start to the 2024 season. His teammate Tsunoda performed better in the first race, and Ricciardo struggled with the VCARB01 car. This made it hard for him to secure a Red Bull seat for 2025. But in recent races, he’s been improving.
In China, after changing his chassis, Ricciardo was aiming for points until Lance Stroll hit him during a safety car period. In Miami, he finished fourth in Saturday’s sprint race, scoring his first points of the year. He defended well against faster cars.
Team principal Mekies said Ricciardo’s performance wasn’t unexpected. He had been improving in recent races, even though the results didn’t show it.
Mekies explained that they identified issues Ricciardo wasn’t happy with and worked to fix them, which improved his performance. They planned to introduce a new chassis before the sixth race to make Ricciardo more comfortable, which helped him perform better in China and Miami.
Despite the improvement, Ricciardo struggled in the main grand prix, finishing in 15th place after being eliminated in Q1. Mekies said this shows how important it is to get everything right in a tight midfield pack. Even a small mistake can lead to being knocked out early.
Mekies emphasized the intense pressure on the team in such a competitive environment, where every detail matters for success.
