Red Bull driver opens up to Sky F1 in Saturday's Monaco Qualifying show
Monday 29 May 2017 08:30, UK
Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he has already had to put dreams of winning his first world title on the back burner this year.
In an interview with Natalie Pinkham, which aired in Sky F1's Monaco GP Qualifying Show, Ricciardo says the early-season gap between Red Bull and the two frontrunners means his pre-2017 targets have had to be lowered.
"It's a little bit like a 2015 scenario where you come in with a little bit more hope and you realise that's probably getting away from you," said Ricciardo, who trails title leader Sebastian Vettel by 67 points.
"At the moment you've got to throw the championship out of your mind, forget that's a possibility and just maximise what I got.
"You've still got to stay afloat in this business. Whether we're getting fifth places or whatever the position you've still got a job to do and still got a reputation to maintain. You readjust a little bit your predictions in your head but still race hard and keep everyone excited even if it's not for a win."
Although he finished on the podium for the first time this season at the last race in Barcelona, Ricciardo was over 70 seconds behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel despite the RB13 undergoing a substantial aerodynamic facelift.
"We're making slow progress," admitted the Australian. "Obviously there is some progress and there was a little in Spain, but we would have preferred it to be more.
"We've got more bits on the car this weekend and I think it's more targeted to this kind of circuit, a more high-downforce circuit. I'm confident we'll see a bit more here than we did in Barcelona."
But with Mercedes out of sorts in Thursday afternoon practice in Monaco, Ricciardo was second fastest on the timesheet - although still trailed pacesetter Vettel by nearly half a second.
Ricciardo experienced extreme contrasting emotions in Monaco last year when he claimed a first career pole on Saturday only to lose a likely win on Sunday via a botched pit stop.
"It will be hard to say it will be as good as last year's," he added. "We're more on the back foot.
"But I believe a podium's still possible this weekend."
See the full interview with Daniel and Natalie on Red Bull's floating Monaco motorhome from Saturday midday on Sky Sports F1. Ricciardo also looks back at the extreme emotions of the 2016 race and why he always seems to be right behind Lewis Hamilton at F1's showpiece!
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