Ricciardo predicts 'tricky' Bahrain Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo has predicted that the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix will provide a "tricky" test for the drivers due to the nighttime surroundings and the conditions, but revealed that it is one of his favourites places to race, calling the location "great".

The 'Honey Badger' started off his season in relatively positive fashion last weekend in his home country of Australia, finishing the Melbourne Grand Prix in fourth behind Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel, with the trio ahead making the podium.

Now that the commitments of a home GP are out of the way, Ricciardo has set his sights on Bahrain, and although he is a fan of the set-up at the Bahrain International Circuit, he thinks it will be "tricky" weekend he and his colleagues due to the contrasting conditions moving from daytime qualifying to nighttime racing in the GP proper.

“Bahrain is great,” said Ricciardo.

“The weather is warm, the paddock is modern, the hotel is amazing and it’s a really nice week that I enjoy after such a busy home race in Australia. It’s actually quite a tricky event as the practice sessions are in the heat of the day.

“But the important sessions, qualifying and the race, are in the evening when the track cools so you have to be very adaptive with the set-up.

“Normally if you’re quick you don’t want to touch the car but in Bahrain you are forced to as the conditions change so much in the evenings. The track is one that I’ve always done well on so let’s hope it continues to be good to me.”

Although Ricciardo has found relatively consistent form in Bahrain over the years, he is yet to stand on the podium - something he will look to change as proceedings kick off next Sunday in Sakhir.