Daniel Ricciardo, not by design, will get his wish of a new RB chassis for the Chinese Grand Prix, though has been warned this is not expected to be a “performance differentiator”.
Ricciardo aspires to compete with the current Red Bull driver Sergio Perez for his position in 2025, as Perez’s contract expires at the end of the season. Nevertheless, Ricciardo is currently encountering difficulties in retaining his spot in the junior RB line-up for the early stages of F1 2024, as he grapples to match the impressive performances of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Daniel Ricciardo gets new chassis but warned on performance
Prior to the Japanese Grand Prix race weekend, Ricciardo mentioned that there was a possibility of him getting a new chassis before RB could inform him that he is not performing well. Fortunately, his wish will come true for the next race in China, not because RB went out of their way to make a new chassis, but because there was already a spare one available.
Alan Permane, the sporting director, agrees that it is logical to provide this chassis to Ricciardo, who has been facing difficulties. However, he doesn’t believe that it will instantly result in a significant improvement in lap times.
Permane described the chassis as a large piece of carbon where we connect the suspension, engine, and gearbox.
He also mentioned that it’s highly unlikely for there to be any performance problems with the chassis.
We do have a new one on the way, and it definitely seems like the best choice to give it to Daniel. Yuki is already content and settled in his current position, so it makes perfect sense.
We don’t favor any specific drivers. Perhaps it would be beneficial for Daniel to completely resolve any lingering concerns about the car.
I do not perceive it as a factor that sets apart performance, and definitely not something we desire to constantly switch drivers in and out of. It is a fortunate coincidence that we happened to have one.
We are not bringing a chassis due to his problems, let us be unequivocal about that. Everything aligns perfectly.
RB is being very cautious in addressing the comfort issues faced by Ricciardo, which has made them extremely careful. Permane emphasizes that there are no technical reasons why Ricciardo cannot fully utilize the VCARB01.
Permane acknowledged, “It’s quite challenging.” He explained that adjusting the set-up can help tackle such issues, but cautioned against making the car slower in the process.
We have taken great care to ensure that the car is not made more comfortable, but rather slower.
In an ideal world, you would eliminate any doubts and boost his confidence, gradually returning to achieve the best possible performance.
Daniel should have no problem driving the car in its current state, which is its fastest form. I am confident that he comprehends this.
We should make sure he has the fastest car available.
Tsunoda secured Red Bull’s initial points of the season in the previous race by finishing in 7th place at the Australian Grand Prix.
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