Ricciardo not expecting 'night-and-day' change in 2016

Daniel Ricciardo does not think the upcoming F1 season will be greatly different from last year, though the Australian says there is “a bit of optimism” to see Red Bull close the gap.

Ricciardo approached the 2015 campaign on the back of a breakthrough three-win year, which had him eager to fight for the title.

Instead, Red Bull ended up suffering from poor power unit performance and reliability, while Mercedes further stamped its authority and Ferrari emerged as genuine contenders.

With technical regulations set to remain fairly stable in 2016 and the four-time world champions still using Renault engines, the 26-year-old does not expect the sport’s pecking order to change much.

“We’re obviously trying to make it better [because] last year we struggled a bit,” Ricciardo told Australian radio show SEN Breakfast.

“The rules have not changed that much this year. We should obviously learn some things from last year, but it’s not going to be a night-and-day difference.

“[Still, there is] a bit of optimism and we should close the gap somewhat and come out in Melbourne a little bit stronger than we did last year. It’s probably all I can ask for, just making sure I do what I have to do as well.”

Despite being outscored by team-mate Daniil Kvyat in 2015, Ricciardo remains one of the hottest properties in the F1 paddock as he enters a contract year at Milton Keynes.

The Australian told F1i last June that he was open to switch teams in the future and his name was briefly linked with a move to Ferrari.

Asked to comment on his plans for 2017, Ricciardo reiterates that he is in no hurry to address the issue until the latter part of the season.

“At the moment, you want to be with the best… I obviously want to give myself the best chance of winning. I want to be with the best car and the best team at the right time. Ideally it’s Red Bull and that’s that.

“Ferrari has a lot of history and a lot of drivers have said they’d love to drive for them one day. We’ll see what happens down the track. For now it’s Red Bull.

“I think we’ve got the tools to do it. Hopefully, it’s the next year or two, which makes my job a bit easier in that I don’t have to go searching (laughs).”

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