Ricciardo has confronted elevated criticism for his lack of efficiency this 12 months in comparison with high-flying team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, with 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve the newest to pile in over the Montreal weekend by questioning why the 34-year-old nonetheless has a spot on the grid.
The Australian ostensibly returned to the Purple Bull household midway by means of the 2023 season to stake a declare for Sergio Perez’s seat in the primary workforce, however his lacklustre outcomes have now shifted his focus to having the ability to keep at RB for 2025.
In Canada, Ricciardo loved his strongest all-round weekend of the season, qualifying fifth on Saturday earlier than ending eighth in a chaotic wet-to-dry race regardless of a poor getaway and a false begin penalty.
And whereas Ricciardo is cautious of a false daybreak, he says he needs to maintain the chip on his shoulder that he introduced into the Montreal occasion as he fights for his F1 future.
“I’ve simply bought to maintain it rolling,” Ricciardo replied when requested by Motorsport.com/Autosport what he is taking away from Canada as he seems to be to construct momentum.
“That little vitality, most likely just a little little bit of a chip on my shoulder I introduced into the weekend, I’ve bought to make it possible for that stays there, and simply hold that degree of depth.
“I do not know if it is the have to be a bit offended or simply get my testosterone up, however I feel it helps me.
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“There may be actually some hope that it’s [a turning point]. Clearly, I’ve bought to repeat it and again it as much as show it.
“However I am positively pleased with some issues that I’ve acknowledged since Monaco, and it is no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother.
“It is simply ensuring that we hold tapping into it and that I am holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and happy-go-lucky. Ensuring I hold that edge about me.”
Ricciardo feared his race was going the flawed method after struggling to get a great launch off a moist beginning grid, which value him positions. That was compounded by a five-second time penalty for leaping the beginning, handed out as a result of his automotive was barely creeping ahead earlier than the lights went out.
“I felt just like the race was getting away from us,” he defined. “The beginning itself, we have been in drift metropolis, so I misplaced a pair positions there. Round flip two I bear in mind Lewis [Hamilton] simply actually breezing by me.
“I knew I did not bounce the lights, however I recall possibly the automotive was creeping once I was wanting on the lights, so I assume we had most likely a clutch problem.
“When the rain was coming, we pitted for brand new intermediates and the others stayed out, and we simply misplaced monitor place there.
“So, I felt just like the race was type of getting away from us, however then with the slick on the finish, we managed to claw our method again previous some vehicles and a pleasant bag of factors”