Daniel Ricciardo believes that Red Bull can use its in-season progress last year as reason for optimism when it comes to its chances of closing the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari.
Red Bull has emerged as the third-best team in Formula 1 in 2017, with Max Verstappen taking its sole podium so far in China, with the squad 55 points adrift of leaders Ferrari.
Red Bull also suffered a slow start in 2016, before emerging as Mercedes’ primary challengers as the European season progressed, taking wins in Spain and Malaysia, alongside pole in Monaco.
Red Bull is set to introduce a “revamped” chassis at next month’s Spanish Grand Prix and Ricciardo is hopeful the updated RB13 will allow the team to compete with the leading duo up front.
“I’ll use the word ‘hope’, I won’t use the word ‘expect’, but I hope for a bit of a bullet, something fast,” Ricciardo said when asked about Red Bull’s planned update.
“We want to be in a three-way fight with Ferrari and Mercedes, that’s what I hope, something that puts us in that fight.
“I look back at last year and I think here [in Russia] in qualifying we were over a second and a half off pole and then we went to Barcelona and we were about half a second off pole, then in Monaco we were quick.
“I think we just need a bit of everything, we’ve talked a bit about downforce, feeling it a bit in the rear.
“We’ve had a bit of time to look at Ferrari, they’ve been in front of us for a few races, we can study them for a lap or two before they get too far away, so they look strong, and Mercedes as well, carrying a bit more grip in the rear and that’s where a lot of lap time is these days.”
Ricciardo reckons Red Bull will be in “striking territory” if it can emerge within half a second of the pace in Spain.
“A bit like last year we made that step and were [then] able to keep chipping away at it,” he commented.
“To make that first step is important, I believe we will get that in Barcelona and let’s see where that puts us.
“If it puts us within half a second then I think we’re in striking territory soon after that.”
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