Ricciardo has been getting more criticism for not performing well this year compared to his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Even former world champion Jacques Villeneuve questioned why Ricciardo is still racing.
Ricciardo joined the Red Bull team again in 2023, hoping to take Sergio Perez’s seat in the main team. But because of his poor results, he’s now focused on staying at Red Bull for 2025.
In Canada, Ricciardo had his best weekend so far this season. He qualified fifth and finished eighth in a race that started wet and ended dry, even though he didn’t start well and got a penalty for a false start.
Ricciardo wants to keep the same attitude he had in Montreal as he fights for his future in Formula 1.
“I’ve just got to keep it rolling,” Ricciardo said. “That little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I’ve got to make sure that that stays there, and just keep that level of intensity.
“I don’t know if it’s the need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me.
“There is certainly some hope that it is [a turning point]. Obviously, I’ve got to repeat it and back it up to prove it.
“But I’m definitely happy with some things that I’ve acknowledged since Monaco, and it’s no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother.
“It’s just making sure that we keep tapping into it and that I’m holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and happy-go-lucky. Making sure I keep that edge about me.”
During the race, Ricciardo had a hard time getting a good start on a wet track, which made him lose positions. He also got a penalty for jumping the start slightly.
“I felt like the race was getting away from us,” he said. “The start itself, we were in drift city, so I lost a couple positions there. Around turn two I remember Lewis [Hamilton] just literally breezing by me.
“I knew I didn’t jump the lights, but I recall maybe the car was creeping when I was looking at the lights, so I guess we had probably a clutch issue.
“When the rain was coming, we pitted for new intermediates and the others stayed out, and we just lost track position there.
“So, I felt like the race was kind of getting away from us, but then with the slick at the end, we managed to claw our way back past some cars and a nice bag of points”
