The Australian had come into the Chinese language Grand Prix off the again of a tough begin to the season, the place he had been struggling for tempo towards team-mate Yuki Tsunoda and going through questions over his future.
With no apparent rationalization for his difficulties, the workforce believed a well-timed change of chassis for this weekend would at the very least be capable to tick that challenge off as a think about his type.
And having delivered maybe his strongest weekend of the 12 months towards Tsunoda, who has been struggling to discover a good set-up, Ricciardo says he has observed issues feeling totally different this weekend.
Nevertheless, he believed it was far too early to make a judgement instantly on if the chassis change is behind the features or whether it is one thing else.
“It looks like a extra regular weekend,” stated Ricciardo, who has certified twelfth for Sunday’s Chinese language GP.
“I might say from the get-go, from yesterday morning, we sort of simply felt like we’re in a greater place and all the pieces got here – I do not wish to say simpler, as a result of that sounds too simple – however yeah, it simply sort of got here a bit extra seamlessly up to now this weekend. It is encouraging, clearly.
“We did change chassis, [but] I do not wish to leap on that but and be like, it is undoubtedly that. Clearly, we have to show that over the course of some races. However yeah, there was clearly one thing with the change this weekend.
“To this point, it has been my greatest weekend of the 12 months. So, whether or not it is that or whether or not it is simply I’ve at all times sort of executed nicely round right here, we’ll see. We’ll see in Miami, and Imola and perhaps the following few [races] if it continues.”
With the workforce having been satisfied that there was nothing improper with the chassis that Ricciardo began the season with, the Australian says that if issues keep at this degree for the following few occasions that he might have to just accept that he won’t ever know what the issue was.
“If the following 5 utterly do this sort of 180, so to talk, then I might believe in saying alright, nicely, perhaps we’ll by no means know what it was.
“One thing did not made me really feel proper with clearly the earlier chassis I used to be racing.
“I might like to be right here in 5 races’ time and say that, as a result of then it means the season has undoubtedly rotated and I’ve sort of get that monkey off our again.
“We’ll see. However I am inspired up to now with the 2 days we have had right here.”
Shanghai just isn’t a standard monitor, with its lengthy gradual corners making it significantly difficult on the entrance tyres.
However Ricciardo stated that regardless of the distinctive points, there had been no want for a dramatic change of strategy in how he was coping with his automotive.
“This circuit is often a bit extra of a front-limited circuit, so it’s a little totally different to in all probability the vast majority of tracks when it comes to the set-up and that.
“However I would be mendacity if I stated we modified a lot this weekend. It was just a little few tweaks right here and there, but it surely’s nothing loopy. So yeah, let’s examine.
“So far, it feels all the pieces’s gone extra regular. And proper now regular is sweet.”