Ricciardo says Renault F1 car "happier" in low-downforce trim
Daniel Ricciardo says Renault's strong form at the Belgian Grand Prix is the result of his car feeling much "happier" in lower downforce trim.
Just two weeks after Renault endured a tough time in Spain as both drivers failed to make it into Q3, Ricciardo qualified fourth at Spa-Francorchamps with teammate Esteban Ocon two places further back.
The duo's pace in the first and third sectors at Spa have highlighted Renault has opted for a lower downforce solution than other teams here – and it's one that Ricciardo suggests has made the RS20 come alive.
"We are pretty light," said Ricciardo when asked by Motorsport.com about the low downforce choice.
"We feel this was a characteristic of the car last year. I feel like, for whatever reason, the cars seems a bit more happier with a little bit less load on it.
"Obviously you can't run this low around a circuit like Barcelona, but when we do come to these more high-speed flowing circuits, it just seems like it's in a better place with a smaller rear wing."
He added: "I think even if we had a bit more wing to choose from, we'd probably still stay on this one for this track. It's working well."
Ricciardo said that when taking the downforce off, the Renault car felt like it had better balance than when it is running bigger wings.
"Typically, it should feel worse as far as having less downforce, and should slide more and be a bit more uncomfortable," explained the Australian.
"But yeah, it doesn't always feel that way. It just feels like it's a little bit at times better balanced.
"I'm not saying there's more grip available. But yeah, you know, from the front and the rear of the car, the two front tyres and the two rear tyres, I feel like they're working together better in simple terms when we seem to put a smaller wing. It seems it's a characteristic of the car for now."
Having been second fastest in Friday's second free practice session, Ricciardo admitted that the team had been nervous about its prospects for Saturday after fearing things had gone too well on the opening day.
"It's funny actually," he said. "Yesterday, the vibe was like it went too well. Everyone was like 'oh, we are second, you know, we're gonna be let down now tomorrow because, you know, even maybe seventh is not really good enough'.
"So to back it up with a top four, I think it's a really, really good day. It's a really good weekend so far."
Related video
Hamilton’s qualifying lap "extra-terrestrial" - Wolff
Williams "hopeful" of fighting Ferrari in race
The inevitable consequence of the Liberty F1 popularity boom
Sell out crowds at Formula 1 races are the norm rather than the exception these days, as grand prix racing is enjoying a massive boom under Liberty Media. But the Spanish Grand Prix highlighted numerous issues some circuits may face as demand for F1 soars
The danger for Red Bull in its Barcelona F1 team orders choice
OPINION: Red Bull walked into a team orders saga on its way to taking a Spanish Grand Prix 1-2 last weekend, where it took the lead of the 2022 Formula 1 world championships for the first time. But its decisions have added an element of risk to later races.
Why Mercedes' Spanish GP gains aren't as grand as they seemed
Mercedes' strong showing in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix prompted team boss Toto Wolff to say it had halved its deficit to the leaders and its Formula 1 title chances were back on after a rocky start to the 2022 campaign. But a closer inspection of the team's performance suggests its gains aren't as grand as they first appeared
What's next for the Green Red Bull controversy?
From the 'pink Mercedes' to the 'Green Red Bull', the Silverstone-based team has received suspicious glares from up and down the Formula 1 paddock over its car design exploits. But after being cleared by the FIA over its Spanish Grand Prix updates amid a backdrop of cries of foul play, what's next in this saga?
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
In an unusually hectic Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was denied a dominant performance by his Ferrari engine letting go which allowed Max Verstappen to pick up the pieces. But numerous flashpoints kept the race twisting and turning throughout, with one perfect score from an emerging contender
How Verstappen overcame his and Red Bull’s errors to win in Spain
Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari engine disaster offered an open goal for Max Verstappen and Red Bull to strike, but the reigning Formula 1 world champion still had to solve multiple errors and profit from a begrudged assist from team-mate Sergio Perez, which created an unexpectedly eventful Spanish Grand Prix
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work