RB F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo To Receive More Upgrades Amid Performance Struggles

Daniel Ricciardo's ongoing struggles with the VCARB 01 prompt additional upgrades and adaptations from the RB team, aiming to optimize his performance and comfort.

Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alpha Tauri driver Daniel Ricciardo of Australia (3) arrives / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a rocky start to the season with the VCARB 01, Daniel Ricciardo is slated for additional car upgrades.

Struggling to harness the full potential of the VCARB 01, Daniel Ricciardo has faced a tumultuous season so far, yet relief seems on the horizon as the RB team pledges continuous improvement and support. The Australian driver, previously contending with issues tied to the car's handling, has seen a promising turnaround with the introduction of a new chassis during the Chinese Grand Prix.

Laurent Mekies, RB’s team principal, emphasized the team's commitment to supporting Ricciardo through ongoing adjustments. He explained to Racing News 365:

"It's positive that Daniel could produce that strong drive.

"We have been saying for quite a few races that he was more and more comfortable with the car, and it proved to be the case [in China]. I'm sure it's not the last step forward that we will make with him."

Initial skepticism surrounded Ricciardo’s potential for success this season due to initial performances. However, team efforts to recalibrate the vehicle's dynamics have begun to show favorable results. Mekies continued:

"It is clear that Daniel was uncomfortable with some of the characteristics of the car since the very beginning. Some of it we are trying to address in the short term, some of it we are going to address a bit later in the season.

"On top of that, there were a number of boxes we wanted to tick, to sanity check everything possible."

The deployment of a new chassis, a part of a series of planned adjustments, marked a significant step towards tailoring the car to Ricciardo’s driving style. "The chassis introduction was planned anyway, because when a chassis comes out of production you just put it into the race team. Putting it with Daniel was just ticking one of these boxes," Mekies added.

Mekies stated that further analysis would be necessary to fully gauge the impact of these changes.

"We'll look at the data with him to see what role he played in it, and as he said, it will need to be assessed over a number of races to understand the influence.

"What is important is that we are nailing a bit more, weekend after weekend, what we need to give him to make him able to push at 100 per cent."