‘Keep a few people quiet’: Ricciardo savours his first points of the season in Miami

Daniel Ricciardo savoured his archetypal points of the Formula 1 play with a 4th spot successful the Miami Grand Prix sprint contention but came rapidly backmost to world a fewer hours aboriginal with a disappointing qualifying effort.

The RB driver, who started the run tipped for a instrumentality to champions Red Bull adjacent twelvemonth but has struggled to deliver, started and finished 4th successful the sprint. Ricciardo’s signature grin was erstwhile again connected amusement aft helium scored 5 points.

Daniel Ricciardo was each smiles aft scoring his archetypal points of the play successful the sprint successful Miami.Credit: Getty Images

But determination was thing to grin astir during qualifying arsenic Ricciardo failed to marque it retired of the archetypal phase.

There was much atrocious quality for the Australian who volition commencement past connected Sunday due to the fact that of a three-place punishment carried implicit from China.

While it was a deflating extremity to a promising day, finishing 4th successful the sprint, albeit successful a 100-kilometre contention without pit stops, was Ricciardo’s highest placing successful immoderate format since 2021 erstwhile helium was astatine McLaren.

“Every large effect ever feels similar it’s a needed one. It’s a blessed feeling, it’s a almighty feeling,” Ricciardo told Sky Sports television.

“Also to backmost up yesterday, [sprint] qualifying was evidently great, but to backmost it up implicit the people of a sprint race, that’s adjacent much satisfying. So it feels precise good, and bully to besides support a fewer radical quiet.”

Ricciardo said each thigh helium could support his position, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz fifth, felt similar a pat connected the back.

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He besides credited a alteration of chassis astatine the erstwhile contention successful China for giving him backmost immoderate assurance successful the car.

“Immediately I honestly felt something. I felt similar much feeling, a spot much assurance successful what the car was going to springiness me,” helium added. “It’s not that it was acold disconnected but determination was conscionable thing missing.

“Compared to [teammate] Yuki [Tsunoda] astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth I could conscionable consciousness similar I wasn’t capable to bash what helium was capable to bash successful a batch of the corners. I knew determination was thing determination truthful I deliberation determination truly was thing with the chassis.”

Ricciardo said a level upgrade for Miami had besides helped with high-speed performance. Tsunoda finished eighth for the last sprint point.

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