Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull has yet to show how strong it is this season heading in to the Australian Grand Prix.
Mercedes dominated pre-season testing, with Williams and Ferrari also looking strong. While Red Bull has been highlighted as a threat by all three aforementioned teams, it was rarely near the top of the timing screens during testing but Ricciardo says he is confident the team will show how much progress it has made this weekend.
“If you look back at last year, for sure we’re in a better position,” Ricciardo said. “I think the times that we put down in testing, I don’t think I have showed that yet but obviously we’re coming here this weekend with a lot more confidence and reliability and we’ve actually got a plan for Sunday whereas last year it was just ‘OK, let’s put the car on the track and hope to see the chequered flag.’
“Within the team there’s obviously a lot more that’s progressed since then. With myself, obviously I’ve moved along, I feel a long way and I’m a more evolved driver and have a bigger impact in the team, obviously spending the twelve months in the team that I have now. It’s all there on the table, I think, ready for us to use and pursue, to put up another strong fight, so I’m looking forward to that this year definitely.”
And Ricciardo says Red Bull would class 2014 as “an off-year” despite still winning three races compared.
“To be honest the vibe is still good, it’s still strong. Adrian’s here this weekend, I’ve been asked a little bit about him and how much he’s stepped back. I don’t what to put him in a spotlight but I think he was at all the tests and he’s here this weekend and it looks like he’s already done more than he originally thought he would. So, I think he’s still very much interested in the RB11.
“From what I can see, the team definitely wants to get back on top. Obviously it was an off-year from their standards last year and I don’t think we’re too keen to let Mercedes get any further away.”
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