Ricciardo reveals MAJOR issue costing team vital points

Daniel Ricciardo has identified a key factor he believes is repeatedly hampering his chances of scoring points in Formula 1 this season.

The RB driver has endured a tough campaign so far, failing to finish in the top 10 at any of the first seven races, though an exceptional drive in the Miami sprint race delivered five much-needed points for his team.

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Any hopes of the Australian kicking on from a positive few days at the Hard Rock Stadium were dashed at last weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, as he came home in 13th position despite starting from ninth on the grid.

To make matters worse, it was the fifth time this season the former Red Bull driver has been outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who clinched 10th spot.

Significant 'weakness' identified

Despite being one of the most high-profile names on the grid, Ricciardo's F1 future remains in the balance, with pressure building on the eight-time grands prix winner to pick up performances or face the prospect of going into 2025 without a seat.

The 34-year-old has remained typically upbeat as he searches for an uplift in results, and after losing two places on the opening lap in Imola, believes an improvement in race starts could be the key to turning his fortunes around.

Speaking with F1.com, he said: “I don’t think anything went wrong with the start procedure, I felt like I did everything right, but unfortunately, losing that starting place did cost us the points in the race.

"We’ll figure it out as a team, just because there’s a bit of a lack of consistency there and we immediately dropped out of the points.

"Then during the race we were in a train of cars, and being there with the dirty air, it’s a weakness at the moment for us.

"We work hard for the qualifying position, so it’s important to be able to consolidate it at the start of the race."

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