Ricciardo adamant his confidence remains unchanged despite ‘frustrating’ start to 2024

Daniel Ricciardo has insisted that he remains in a confident and happy mindset despite a difficult start to his 2024 season, with the Australian sure that he can “make a good result happen” soon.

Having returned to the F1 grid midway through the 2023 campaign – where he put in a series of solid performances, despite having to sit out five rounds after breaking a bone in his hand – Ricciardo has faced a more challenging run so far this year.

READ MORE: Ricciardo explains why 2024 struggles with RB are different to his time at McLaren

The eight-time Grand Prix winner has been out-qualified by RB team mate Yuki Tsunoda at all three race weekends, and on race days his best result to date has been a P12 finish. Despite this, Ricciardo says that he continues to feel good within himself, though remains keen to see this reflected in his results on track.

“It’s funny because, on paper, it hasn’t been good [so far this season], and I know obviously that as well, the results haven’t been what I wanted,” Ricciardo explained ahead of the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.

“But personally, and the confidence and the happiness and all of that, is really unchanged, so it’s really just a matter now of getting a result and kind of putting a few things to rest. But internally and the place I’m in personally, I feel really good and that’s why it’s probably been a little bit weird to comprehend why the result hasn’t happened yet, but otherwise, yeah, feeling good.

“I was home for a little bit as well [after the Australian Grand Prix], that was nice – always nice to get home for a few days and come here refreshed. Obviously I can’t predict what’s going to happen this weekend but, standing here now, I certainly feel I can make a good result happen.”

READ MORE: ‘Not where I expected to be’ admits Ricciardo as he rues difficult opening three races with RB

Pushed on whether he and the team have identified what exactly is not clicking – and whether this will be a point of focus during the weekend at Suzuka – Ricciardo responded: “Yeah, we’ve been putting a lot of work in off track as well in the off-weeks, trying to understand how much is me, how much is the car, what is it that maybe the car’s not giving me that I’m looking for and things like this.

“It’s really just small things here and there, so I think what’s important now is – because we’re not in a place where we’re lost or I don’t feel good – I think it’s important for us just to focus on… I sit down with my engineers and that’s it.

“We don’t start receiving suggestions from other people, of ‘have you thought about this’ or ‘do that’, because then you go down a rabbit hole that we’re certainly not willing or ready to go down. So yeah, it’s just really staying with the course.

READ MORE: Tsunoda 'making very big steps' as RB engineers left impressed by his progress in 2024

“Obviously it is frustrating because I do want the results and I feel very prepared. I feel like I’m ready to get results, but yeah, we can’t get sidetracked by anything else really.”