Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he entered the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix with a “chip on his shoulder” as he produced his strongest weekend to date this season.
The Australian arrived in Montreal under pressure to deliver amid a disappointing campaign which had seen RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda have the measure over him.
But amid criticism from ex-F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve, Ricciardo was competitive at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from the start and qualified inside the top five.
Ricciardo then overcame a clutch hitch that triggered a five-second penalty for a start infraction and changeable weather conditions to motor to an eighth-place finish.
Having clinched fourth in the Sprint in Miami but then slumped to a later Q1 elimination, Ricciardo was relieved to piece together his first complete weekend this term.
“It’s the first weekend I’ve got well, start to finish,” Ricciardo told Speedcafe.
“Obviously Miami, half of it was really good and the other half not so, so it’s nice to just be competitive from Friday through Sunday.
“And a race like this, it’s so hard, mentally and everything. It is draining.
“You can’t expect to do a perfect race when it’s like this, but I felt like in all these conditions, we managed to still pull out a result, with a few challenges along the way.”
The erstwhile Red Bull driver revealed he came into the event with added intent and has pondered whether that is an ingredient he must translate to upcoming races.
“I think that little energy, a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I’ve got to make sure that stays there and just keep that level of intensity,” he said.
“I don’t know if I need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me.”
Ricciardo’s first points under grand prix conditions in 2024 extended RB’s advantage over Haas in the battle over sixth in the Constructors’ Championship to 21 points.
Meanwhile, the eight-time grand prix winner’s four-point haul has gained him two spots in the Drivers’ standings to 12th, though he remains 10 points behind Tsunoda.
Next time out will see Ricciardo return to the track where he landed his maiden F1 podium in 2014 as the series heads to Barcelona for the annual Spanish Grand Prix.
