Ricciardo praises Renault engine gains: "We actually have a real qualifying mode"
F1 News
Daniel Ricciardo is only into his sixth race at Renault, but he's one of the most experienced drivers on the current Formula 1 grid with their engine. At the back end of last season, he experienced engine trouble like no other in his Red Bull.
Troubles were that big he punched a hole in the wall as a result. Fast forward a few months, and now the Australian is dishing out praise for the improvements.
"Our quali mode was, I felt, pretty strong. My reference from last year, obviously, I'm pulling an extra gear before some apexes and stuff like that. And so definitely a year on it's a lot better," Ricciardo is quoted by RaceFans.
Renault sits 8th in the constructor's standings, just a point from Alfa Romeo in 9th. Apart from the first race in his home country, Ricciardo has managed to outqualify Nico Hulkenberg on every occasion.
Ricciardo's highest start to a Grand Prix came last weekend in Monaco. His performance on Saturday gave him a seventh-place start in the race. It's no surprise, Ricciardo has become more pleased.
"I think even from China, which was our last little step, it's getting there. We actually have a real qualifying mode this year," Ricciardo added.
"I definitely feel like it’s in the right direction now. The nice thing is there’s still more to come and they see that. But it’s just getting the reliability is what’s going to hold us up from going that step further. We could squeeze a bit more [in Monaco], even on a low-power circuit you could feel it come to fruition. So some little positives.”