23/08/2023
NEWS STORY
Daniel Ricciardo: "Im very excited about racing at Zandvoort, mainly to get the second half of the season going. I only got to do the two races before the break, so even if I enjoyed a bit of time off, I spent most of the past few weeks training and enjoying the chance to keep building up my fitness, to be all set to attack the second half of the season. I've really enjoyed being back, and the two races with the team have been awesome. Now, I'm very hungry and motivated and feel the way I want to feel. That's why I'm looking forward to kicking off in Zandvoort, which is a very fast track with an awesome atmosphere."
Yuki Tsunoda: "I was happy with how the first part of the season ended in Belgium, as it had been a long time since we scored any points. It meant I could go into the summer break in a positive mood, and I'm carrying that motivation as we start the second half of the season this weekend.
"I started the break by going to the island of Tenerife, just to have a relaxing time, and then after that, I spent six days training in Austria, to ensure I'm in the best possible shape for the remainder of the season. I made a clear split between having a proper holiday and then doing the training, which is much better than trying to combine both.
"The training went well, I'm feeling fit, relaxed, and ready to go again. It was important to have a few days of complete rest after a busy first half of the year and refocus before returning to a solid few days of training, which is like a reset.
"I also fitted in some time in the simulator earlier this week to prepare for the next two races. We've had two races in Zandvoort in the past, and I even made it to Q3 last year, but I've never finished, so that's something I want to put right this weekend. I like the track because it's technical with some unique features, such as the steeply banked corners and the mix of slow and fast turns. It's physically quite demanding. I'm not sure how we will perform here because even if Spa went well, much of that was down to the specific nature of the track and even the weather, while Zandvoort is very different - a medium- to high-downforce circuit - but hopefully we can have another good race there. Because the track is very narrow, our main focus will be on qualifying well, which is something we have struggled with a bit so far this season. Let's wait and see how it goes."