22/10/2023
NEWS STORY
Daniel Ricciardo: "I'm happy with my lap in SQ2 today. With the position we're in, Q3 is a big achievement for us, and when we get so close, it's a big tease.
"I'm really happy with the progress I made from SQ1 to SQ2, given we can't really change the car from yesterday. We did some homework and played around with some things, which allowed me to push more confidently. It was good to be able to race today and again tomorrow, I really enjoyed being back competing, it's a nice feeling. As for my driving, there were things I was happy about from the race and others I wasn't so happy with, which are things I know I can improve on for tomorrow. With the temperatures and the way the tyres are, the grip feels low, and especially with the mix between old and new asphalt at different corners, it affects how the car behaves. However, it was encouraging that we had some pace at the end, so let's see how it goes tomorrow."
Yuki Tsunoda: "I wasn't able to do a second push lap in SQ1 because the chequered flag came just before I crossed the line. It's frustrating because the opportunity to get to SQ2 was lost. Our car felt good, and the potential was there, so it's a shame. The pace in today's Sprint race was good, I overtook some cars and enjoyed it out there. Most importantly, we learned a lot about our long-run pace and have a lot of information to prepare for tomorrow, so tonight will be about fine-tuning our package. We're starting towards the top ten for the race, and if we continue this pace into tomorrow, points are possible."
Jody Egginton (Technical Director): "The day was a mixed one in terms of outcomes and results, but as a team, we're left feeling there was potentially more to be taken from today. Overnight, we made some useful steps on Daniel's side of the garage, allowing him to put in a strong Sprint qualifying and stay in the midfield fight in the Sprint race, with a very strong final few laps. Frustratingly, an error with the timing of Yuki's out lap in his last Sprint qualifying run led to him ending up well out of position in P19. This meant that even with the good pace and overtaking he showed in the Sprint race, he didn't have the chance to fight for the positions his pace would've allowed. We take away a good amount of data regarding the medium compound tyre, so the task is to use this as part of the strategy planning to see what we can extract for tomorrow, with the target being to maximise any opportunities we have to score points."