Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren "putting the pieces together" for Baku bounce back

McLaren

Ricciardo and McLaren "putting the pieces together" for Baku bounce back

Ricciardo failed to score points for the first time this year in a disastrous Monaco Grand Prix

Sam Hall

Wednesday 2 June 2021 17:20

Daniel Ricciardo hopes to put his Monaco disappointment firmly behind him with a strong performance at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Ricciardo has struggled to match the performance levels of team-mate Lando Norris after moving from Renault to McLaren over the winter but, up to the Monaco weekend, the Australian had nevertheless been a consistent points scorer.

This run came to an abrupt end at Monaco when Ricciardo finished 12th and was lapped by Norris, the Briton en route to a second podium finish of the season.

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“Monaco wasn’t my weekend but I’m looking to bounce back," said Ricciardo. "It’s been important to take time to reset and refocus before heading to Baku.

"The team and I have been working hard in the sim to understand, analyse and pinpoint the key areas we need to improve.

"We know the car has good potential, we just need to put all pieces together to unlock it.

"There’s still that element of adapting to a new car which I’m sure will come with the more time and mileage behind the wheel. I’m going to keep working at it, build on the progress we made in Portugal and Spain and try to feel as one with the car."

In Baku, anything can happen!

When Baku was added to the calendar in 2016 it was listed as the European Grand Prix and, as such, Ricciardo's 2017 victory for Red Bull made him the first victor of the race in its current guise.

The Australian has also felt the other side of the Azerbaijan race after colliding with then team-mate Max Verstappen in 2018 causing both Red Bull cars to retire.

He added: “Baku is a really cool street circuit and one of those races where potentially anything could happen.

"The track is known for having one of the longest straights on the calendar with three cars being able to run side-by-side as you head into Turn One.

"Hopefully, we can get the car into the right window from the off on Friday and have a solid weekend.”