The Australian had come into the Chinese language Grand Prix off the again of a troublesome begin to the season, the place he had been struggling for tempo in opposition to team-mate Yuki Tsunoda and dealing with 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 least have the ability to tick that challenge off as a think about his type.
And having delivered maybe his strongest weekend of the yr in opposition to 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 whether or not the chassis change was behind the positive factors or if it was one thing else.
“It appears like a extra regular weekend,” stated Ricciardo, who has certified twelfth for Sunday’s Chinese language GP.
“I’d say from the get-go, from yesterday morning, we type of simply felt like we’re in a greater place and all the things got here – I do not need to say simpler, as a result of that sounds too simple – however yeah, it simply type of got here a bit extra seamlessly to this point this weekend. It is encouraging, clearly.
“We did change chassis, [but] I do not need to bounce on that but and be like, it is positively 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 date, it has been my greatest weekend of the yr. So, whether or not it is that or whether or not it is simply I’ve all the time type of achieved effectively round right here, we’ll see. We’ll see in Miami, and Imola and possibly the following few [races] if it continues.”
With the workforce having been satisfied that there was nothing mistaken with the chassis that Ricciardo began the season with, the Australian says that if issues keep at this degree for the following few occasions he could have to simply accept that he won’t ever know what the issue was.
“If the following 5 fully do this sort of 180, so to talk, then I’d have faith in saying alright, effectively, possibly we are going to by no means know what it was.
“One thing did not make me really feel proper with clearly the earlier chassis I used to be racing.
“I’d like to be right here in 5 races’ time and say that, as a result of then it means the season has positively rotated and I’ve type of bought that monkey off our again.
“We’ll see. However I am inspired to this point with the 2 days we have had right here.”
Shanghai is just not a standard observe, with its lengthy sluggish corners making it notably difficult on the entrance tyres.
However Ricciardo stated that regardless of the distinctive elements, there had been no want for a dramatic change of strategy in how he was coping with his automobile.
“This circuit is usually a bit extra of a front-limited circuit, so it’s a little totally different to most likely the vast majority of tracks when it comes to the set-up and that.
“However I might be mendacity if I stated we modified a lot this weekend. It was slightly few tweaks right here and there, nevertheless it’s nothing loopy. So yeah, let’s examine.
“So far, it feels all the things’s gone extra regular. And proper now regular is nice.”