Formula 1 Bahrain GP
Ricciardo "grumpy" after messy Bahrain F1 qualifying
Daniel Ricciardo says he is "grumpy at myself" after qualifying 14th for Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix, following expectations RB would be able to mix it up with teams ahead.
Filip Cleeren
Edited: Mar 2, 2024, 2:07 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
RB was tipped to be one of the surprise packages for 2024, having built on a strong end to its 2023 campaign under its previous AlphaTauri guise.
And while Ricciardo had played down the hype around his rebranded team ahead of the Sakhir event, RB did prove to be a Q3 contender after Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo qualified 11th and 14th respectively.
Tsunoda particularly had a right to feel aggrieved after missing the cut by a mere 0.007s, while Ricciardo, 1.5 tenths off the top 10, admitted he didn't wring an optimal lap out of the VCARB 01.
"I'm disappointed I didn't put it together because that's what qualifying is for. And you meant to put it together when it counts, so I'm kind of grumpy at myself," he said.
"I didn't drive shit or anything, but I never really crossed the line being like: 'Yeah, I did a clean lap'.
"There were always some parts on the track where I knew there was lap time, but I never really was able to put it together. Even if I improved a little bit, then I'd probably lose a bit in the next corner.
"But taking Yuki in 11th, we felt like if we do like a great lap, Q3 is possible. But otherwise, we're probably around that top 12 area, so I think it's where we are for now."
Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, in the pit lane
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Ricciardo is still confident he and Tsunoda can sneak into the top 10 in the race in what is shaping up to be an extremely competitive battle for the lower points positions.
"Yeah, I definitely think we can still do it," the 34-year-old said. "Everything's close, so there's a lot to play for.
"If you just have that extra tenth in the race to manage the tyres better, then you can definitely be fighting in the points.
"We weren't too bad in the long runs, so there's some optimism that we could maybe shuffle our way towards the front.
"And it's the first race, anything can happen as well. Some people [in front] might get excited..."
Read Also:
Formula 1McLaren had pace for "second or third" on tight Bahrain F1 grid
Formula 1Perez: Bahrain F1 Q3 mistake cost me top three grid position
Formula 1Hamilton: Mercedes W15 is “a car that we can fight with”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article McLaren had pace for "second or third" on tight Bahrain F1 grid
Next article Red Bull's better tyre options quash F1 rivals' hopes further for Bahrain GP
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Filip Cleeren
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Formula 1
Formula 1
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
F1 signs historic 10-year Rwanda deal to host African Grand Prix
Formula 1
Formula 1
F1 signs historic 10-year Rwanda deal to host African Grand Prix
More from
Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo shares heartfelt message after first Indy 500 visit brought back "childhood feelings"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya GP
Daniel Ricciardo shares heartfelt message after first Indy 500 visit brought back "childhood feelings"
Lando Norris reunites with Daniel Ricciardo for Indy 500 celebrations after disastrous Canadian GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Lando Norris reunites with Daniel Ricciardo for Indy 500 celebrations after disastrous Canadian GP
Daniel Ricciardo says life feels "more real" after abrupt F1 exit
Formula 1
Formula 1
Canadian GP
Daniel Ricciardo says life feels "more real" after abrupt F1 exit
More from
Racing Bulls
Who slept worst last night: Nikola Tsolov
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Who slept worst last night: Nikola Tsolov
Racing Bulls "not in a rush" to decide between three "fantastic" drivers for F1 2027
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Racing Bulls "not in a rush" to decide between three "fantastic" drivers for F1 2027
Latest news
Ayao Komatsu: Rafael Camara chosen for F1 2027 seat on speed, not Ferrari links
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
4 h
Ayao Komatsu: Rafael Camara chosen for F1 2027 seat on speed, not Ferrari links
Did Haas make the correct decision in signing Rafael Camara for F1 2027?
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
6 h
Did Haas make the correct decision in signing Rafael Camara for F1 2027?
Frederik Vesti steps up to full-time role as Cadillac Racing details 2027 IMSA lineup
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 6 h
Frederik Vesti steps up to full-time role as Cadillac Racing details 2027 IMSA lineup
Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for F1 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
6 h
Rafael Camara to replace Esteban Ocon at Haas for F1 2027
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe