Daniel Ricciardo hopes Red Bull can repeat its Hungary performance at Singapore this weekend, thus paving the way for a return to the podium.
He and team-mate Daniil Kvyat were fast right off the bat at Budapest and managed to carry that momentum all along to seal a strong 2-3 finish behind Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. With Marina Bay Circuit sharing similar traits to the narrow and twisty Hungaroring, the Australian looks to challenge at the front once again.
“[Singapore] is definitely one that will suit us a lot more. It is just max downforce and it is what we are normally better at. Ferrari will still be strong and hard for us to beat. But we should be close.
“Friday will be a telltale sign if we are there or thereabouts. If we start on the right foot then we will be there. It is a bit like Budapest – from FP1 we were there, and we more or less hung with Ferrari all weekend.
“In terms of parts, we have bits and pieces, aerodynamic stuff, a few little gurneys here and there. Otherwise nothing else really. Just a progression of Budapest.”
With Renault set to stop supplying engines to Red Bull and Toro Rosso, growing speculation has engulfed the four-time world champions about its 2016 power units.
While Mercedes seems reluctant to equip a potential rival with its dominant PU106B, Maranello boss Maurizio Arrivabene told reporters at Monza that he did not see any problem in providing Red Bull with engines next year.
Asked whether having Ferrari power would boost his team’s chances to take on the fight to the defending champions, Ricciardo replied:
“I’m sure it would be closer. In some races we’ve been close to Merc – close to think if we had another engine that we might be there. But then in other races when they are 1.5 seconds in front it is hard to say an engine is going to give us all that.
“There is always the question mark of what comes with more power. More recovery at your disposal to use? Time we will tell. In April next year we will see the real deal of whatever we’ve got and see if it has worked.”
Twelve months ago, Red Bull enjoyed one of his better 2014 weekends at Singapore, with Vettel and Ricciardo finishing a strong 2-3 behind race winner Lewis Hamilton.
Chris Medland's Singapore Grand Prix preview
2016 F1 driver line-ups so far
Click here for some of the most memorable crashes at Singapore
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