Daniel Ricciardo makes brutally honest admission amid poor Formula One season… but Australian Grand Prix offers glimmer of hope

Daniel Ricciardo has offered hope for a turnaround in performances after admitting to being disappointed with his start to the Formula One season. 

Ricciardo, 34, started the Australian Grand Prix from P18 but climbed six places to finish 12th and was pleased with his pace during his home race. 

‘I felt like the frustration I’d kind of put aside for today,’ Ricciardo said after the race. ‘I kind of knew what’s done is done and tried to make the most of today.

‘It’s nice there were moments in the race where I did have pace and I was able to show, ‘okay, I can still get some good stints in there’. It was still good to get the laps.’

Ricciardo entered the Albert Park race feeling the pressure, with Red Bull chief Helmut Marko publicly calling for improved performances from the Australian.

But his Australian Grand Prix performance provides reasons to be optimistic

He finished 13th in Bahrain and 16th in Jeddah, but insists he hasn’t lost belief in his ability to rediscover his mojo. 

‘I definitely believe I can do it,’ he said. ‘I wouldn’t say there’s any panic. I would’ve loved this season to have started better, but we’ll just keep digging.’

He added: ‘It’s not that we’ve changed everything and all of a sudden this car suits Yuki (Tsunoda) and doesn’t suit me. I certainly don’t feel it’s anything like that.

‘I think we will find something. I thought it would’ve been this weekend. Maybe it’s next, and if it’s not the next, then we’ll keep going until it happens.

‘It will happen.’

Christian Horner said of Ricciardo’s form: ‘He’s a big boy, he’ll pick himself up.

‘F1 for a driver can be lonely so a bit of encouragement is never a bad thing.’