Estéban den Toom is an editor at GPblog, specializing in Formula 1. With a background in journalism and a keen eye for detail, he delivers daily, reliable coverage and analysis of technical developments and on-track strategy within the sport.
Daniel Ricciardo could look back satisfied after the sprint shootout, as he recorded the fourth fastest time during SQ3, for giving him a P4 start in the sprint race. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko sees the Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) driver surprising during the first day in Miami. Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen's teammate, is also becoming more consistent according to Marko.
"He finished third today, so that's fine," opened the Austrian at Motorsport.com. "It's already a big improvement on last year. Then he was often about eight tenths a lap behind Max. Once you start a race weekend with such a gap, you can't make up for it. He's closer to it now and therefore in Q3 every time," he continued.
Marko on Ricciardo
Ricciardo was the big surprise of qualifying in Miami. The much-criticised driver from Australia finished P4 in sprint qualifying and was hugely relieved after the session. "We belong at the front," Ricciardo said on the team radio after it was made clear to him that he gets to start the sprint race from the second row of the grid.
"An incredible success and a big surprise. RB's car seems quite fast here. Yuki was also good earlier today, although he made a mistake. It will be an interesting race and the two seem pretty evenly matched now. I wouldn't say Ricciardo is back to his old form yet, but at least he is more competitive now. Maybe it is something psychological and we change the number plate on Yuki's chassis as well," Marko concludes.
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