Ricciardo feeling "hooked up" for first time at Sochi
Daniel Ricciardo believes it is "early days" to talk up Renault's chances of a podium finish at the Russian Grand Prix despite feeling "hooked up" in Friday's Formula 1 practice running.
Ricciardo managed to finish as the best of the rest behind the dominant Mercedes drivers on Friday at the Sochi Autodrom, ending second practice in third place, more than a second off pace-setter Valtteri Bottas' time.
Ricciardo was able to beat McLaren drivers Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, who took fourth and fifth respectively, and finished half a second clear of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Verstappen said he thought Renault would be "tough" to beat to third place in qualifying on Saturday, with Ricciardo acknowledging that he felt comfortable in the car around Sochi.
"It's probably the first time I've ever really been hooked up around here," Ricciardo said. "It felt good. I think the first run this morning was already, I was on it, and stayed on it for the rest of the day.
"So yeah, really happy with another good Friday."
Ricciardo has finished fourth in two of the last three races, narrowly missing out on a breakthrough podium for Renault at both Spa and Mugello.
The Australian has a long-running tattoo bet with Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul that he is eager to cash in on before his exit at the end of the season.
Asked if he could target a podium in Sochi, Ricciardo said that it was "early days".
"If we can put it here in qualy, then for sure, I'll be confident of that," Ricciardo said.
"I think there's all the cars around two- or three-tenths of us, and I'm sure that will be the battle tomorrow.
"It's all going to close up, so if we can get and stay that tenth ahead, then we'll look alright."
Ricciardo's teammate Esteban Ocon lapped almost half a second slower in second practice, but was reassured by his engineer that the gap could be explained by the different approaches the drivers were taking in the session.
The Frenchman felt Renault had the chance of doing "properly well' in Sochi, judging by its Friday form.
"With the car, we have the potential of doing properly well this weekend, it feels good," Ocon said.
"We had plenty of testing, so we'll have everything to go through and analyse properly. But tomorrow, it's up to us to put everything together and make it happen.
"We have a few different characteristics in terms of aero [compared to Ricciardo] and a few different things in terms of engine as well. A few things differently, but we know where we are.
"We know the pace which is promising, so it's up to us to make it happen tomorrow."
Related video
Bottas says there's "more to come" from Mercedes
Mick Schumacher opens up on his dad's record being broken
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