When Daniel Ricciardo rejoined the F1 grid mid-way by way of the season final yr, the a number of grand prix winner would have clearly hoped that 2024 could be his yr to make his declare to return to Pink Bull’s senior group.
However after a full season of racing alongside the a lot youthful Yuki Tsunoda, has the veteran actually separated himself from his group mate to be the clear superior choice to the endlessly struggling Sergio Perez?
From the premise of the primary 14 rounds of the championship, it’s troublesome to make that case.
With a lot expertise and having been answerable for a few of the most spectacular and memorable grand prix wins of the final decade, it’s laborious to not have anticipated extra from Ricciardo than he has proven over the season up to now.
His begin of the season was particularly difficult, struggling a uncommon late-race spin in Jeddah and failing to progress from Q1 in his residence grand prix in Melbourne after falling foul of monitor limits on his last push lap. Whereas he had a decent efficiency within the race to complete twelfth, he was a number of spots behind his group mate within the factors.
Daniel Ricciardo
| Finest | Worst | |
|---|---|---|
| GP begin | 9 (x2) | 18 (x2) |
| GP end | 8 | 16 |
| Factors | 12 | |
Monaco was additionally a troublesome weekend for a driver who can boast being a Monte Carlo winner. Ricciardo certified 5 locations beneath Tsunoda, then misplaced a spot off the beginning line throughout each grid begins, ultimately ending twelfth whereas Tsunoda once more picked up factors.
After getting his needs in China with a brand new chassis after suggesting there was probably one thing about his present one which was resulting in difficulties, Ricciardo had a stable run in Shanghai and Miami, just for that momentum to seemingly abandon him as soon as once more. He put in his greatest weekend’s work of the season thus far in Canada, qualifying a really sturdy fifth on the grid and taking 4 factors in eighth, however from that second on there has probably not been a lot to separate Ricciardo from his group mate. One thing you wouldn’t anticipate from a driver with as illustrious a historical past as Ricciardo.
Though there may be nonetheless time for Ricciardo to make his case to be in that Pink Bull as a substitute of Perez over the second half of the season, he must put daylight between him and Tsunoda over this last a part of the yr. However to try this, he’ll first need to make up the factors deficit between him and Tsunoda.
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