Ricciardo: More encouragement for McLaren despite Norris 'disaster'

Daniel Ricciardo says McLaren can take away more "encouragement" from its performance in the Russian Grand Prix, despite the epilogue suffered by teammate Lando Norris.

Ricciardo concluded his day fourth on the track, just three seconds adrift of third-placed man Carlos Sainz, while Norris was left to ponder what may have been in seventh place after a belated switch to the intermediate tyres when the rain set in squandered his chances of success.

While there was heartbreak in the McLaren camp, Ricciardo felt there was a lot of encouragement to take away from the team's overall performance in Sochi.

"From a team point of view, the more I stand here and talk the more I understand Lando's race was a bit of a disaster at the end," Ricciardo told Sky Sports F1.

"It could have been a first or a second by the sound of it. From a team, there is encouragement with performance.

"There could have been more points today but we will keep looking at it."

Although Ricciardo struggled in the closing stages of the race as conditions worsened, his own decision to pit earlier than Norris for a set of inters proved timely and beneficial.

"Normally we are the best judge for that because we are the ones feeling the track," he explained.

"But I am not speaking about Lando's situation but for me, it was clear and in hindsight, one lap earlier was even better.

"We still probably didn't perfect it, but it was the right call."

• Read also: McLaren team equally to blame for Norris tyre call - Seidl

Revisiting the start of the race, Ricciardo said that his launch from P5 on the grid had been "too good", but a lack of a slipstream cut his momentum.

"I think it is tough here because it is such a long run to turn one so the launch was in a way too good," he explained.

"At one point I had to lift because I was going to lose the slipstream, so I lifted to tuck back in and then all the good work was undone. Maybe on another circuit that launch was more beneficial but that was good.

"I lost positions but I got Alonso and Lewis back so it was net-even in the end.

"Personally, some moments were good, some not so.

"I am still eager to find some speed in the car, I am not sure it was as comfortable a weekend as Monza, a bit tricky and a bit compromised on Friday and I don't think we ever got back on top of it, so we will keep working on it."

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