Qualifying error puts brakes on Ricciardo's progress
Monday, 31 July 2023
A costly track limits infringement left Daniel Ricciardo with a mountain to climb in Belgium, the Australian conceding he needs more seat time in the AlphaTauri machine after finishing in 16th place.
A matter of centimetres defined Daniel Ricciardo's Belgian Grand Prix weekend, with a track limits infringement in Friday's qualifying session for Sunday's Grand Prix seeing the Scuderia AlphaTauri driver consigned to a back-row start that ended in a muted 16th-place finish.
On his second event with the team after returning at the Hungarian Grand Prix one weekend earlier, Ricciardo looked to have made Q2 in Friday's qualifying session in a comfortable 10th place before his lap time was deleted for crossing the white lines on the exit of Radillon, at the top of Spa-Francorchamps' signature Eau Rouge complex. A chance at an unlikely tilt at Q3 became 19th in qualifying, and the Australian felt there was no coming back from the error in Sunday's 44-lap Grand Prix.
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"With qualifying, with the mistake with the lap deleted, it's just so hard coming through the pack," he said.
"What made it really hard is that a lot of the cars at the back are really quick in the straights, so to overtake is so tricky. We tried to set the car up to be better for the race and give ourselves a chance at overtaking, but we really struggled. Then when you're fighting, you kill the tyres so early. So that was pretty much the race.
"Even in clear air, I felt like we were still missing something, so I'm quite keen to get to the truck (for the post-race debrief) to learn a little bit more about it, feed back some things I felt, and see what we can find. I know we don't have the quickest car on the grid, but I feel like we were lacking a little bit today."
Ricciardo was quicker – and more precise – in Saturday's Sprint, where he started 11th and finished 10th, finishing just outside of the points after being in eighth place with three laps remaining.
"As the track dried and it came to the last three laps, I could feel the tyres struggling and the car getting slower," he said.
"It would've been nice to score a point, but I'm glad to see the chequered flag because I don't know how much longer the tyres could've kept me on the track."
Less than two weeks into his new surroundings at AlphaTauri, Ricciardo joked that while the rest of the grid would welcome F1®'s annual summer break after four races in the past five weekends, he'd be happy if there was a race sooner than the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort at the end of August.
"I think everyone is excited for a break other than me, I'd love to keep going – I don't know this car that well yet," he said.
"But in saying that, I'm quite grateful to have had two races before the break so it gives me something to work off, and certainly think about. Even race fitness, to know what I can keep improving on. So the break is a good chance for me to keep working behind the scenes."
Teammate Yuki Tsunoda finished 10th on Sunday – scoring AlphaTauri's first points since Azerbaijan in round four – but the result still left the Faenza outfit at the foot of the constructors' championship table, six points behind Alfa Romeo.
Daniel's Belgian Grand Prix by the numbers
- Sprint (11 laps): Started 11th, finished 10th
- Race (44 laps): Started 19th, finished 16th
- Pit stops/tyres: Lap 5 (soft/medium), Lap 22 (medium/medium)
- Fastest lap: 1min 50.994secs (15th), lap 25
- Points this event: 0
- Points this season: 0 (21st in world championship)
