Daniel Ricciardo drops bold prediction on RB’s rankings ahead of Bahrain GP 2024

Before the recent pre-season testing session in Bahrain, there was considerable confusion among spectators regarding whether the RB F1 team had the potential to emerge as a competitive team on the grid.

Fortunately, the testing session helped clear much of this confusion, with the team demonstrating its capabilities. VCARB’s main driver, Daniel Ricciardo, has also conveyed his confidence in the team, particularly in predicting its potential rankings in the future.

Daniel Ricciardo believes in RB’s potential

Ahead of the upcoming season, many VCARB fans were stressed about whether the team’s new car would prove to be efficient enough to earn a reputable place in the constructors’ standings this year. However, the Australian driver of the team has reassured the fans that this season the newly rebranded team will have a completely different approach towards success, especially with Red Bull’s support now.

In the last few years, Red Bull’s sister team has failed to secure more than one podium in a season, apart from Pierre Gasly’s third-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the 2021 F1 campaign. However, this time, the eight-time Grand Prix winner is hopeful about the updates introduced to the new car, predicting a strong comeback.

Ricciardo stated, “To get back on the podium for sure would be amazing, but if you say: ‘Oh, you only have one podium this year, and the rest are 10th places, no, that is not what I want.”

Daniel further added, “I would rather have a whole lot of top fives, with no podium, and just show consistency towards the front; that is what I want, a bit like my second year at Renault [in 2020], which people forget about now. That was a year where I was consistently in the top five, top six, and a few podiums, and that is the level at which I want to be able to produce again week in and week out.”

Can Daniel Ricciardo clinch a podium spot at the Bahrain GP?

On the first day of Bahrain’s pre-season testing session, Ricciardo was the fourth-fastest driver on the grid and fifth on the second day. Observing this incredible improvement of the Italy-based team, spectators are predicting that it will most likely have a powerful comeback at the Bahrain Grand Prix held in March, clinching a podium spot.

Ricciardo further fueled their expectations by stating, “We believe we can do better than eighth. I’ve got an idea of who’s quick and maybe who’s struggling, but… It’s not even that I’m scared to comment on it; the truth is that I’m just relatively unsure. Even if some teams are within a couple of tenths, a couple of tenths could be five positions on the grid. It can swing pretty quickly.”

Do you think the RB team will be able to overcome their past struggles and start fresh this season? Tell us about your opinions in the comment section below.