Ricciardo not intimidated by Verstappen and Mercedes: "Real chance at the start"

We haven't had a wet race this season, but that may change with the Belgian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo is however not making a rain dance and hopes for a dry race.

After qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo saw a familiar situation before his eyes: he has placed himself next to former teammate Max Verstappen on the starting grid. The Renault seems to be doing very well on the power circuit of Spa-Francorchamps.

"I am very satisfied with qualifying and the weekend as a whole. We already showed a good speed yesterday. The circuits where little downforce is needed - such as Spa and Monza - were also good tracks for us last year. This year that scenario seems to be repeating itself, so I'm very satisfied", said the Australian in front of the camera of Sky Sports F1.

The low amount of downforce that Renault may have tomorrow could only be a problem. If it turns out to be a rain race, Ricciardo will have a lot less grip. The driver, therefore, expresses a different wish than Verstappen, who is hoping for a wet track.

"If it rains, it rains, but I hope for a dry race. After all, we have a good starting position and our top speed is also good. We have a real chance at the start and after that, I can probably defend myself for a while if necessary. That's our plan: win some places at the start and then stick out the elbows," Ricciardo explains.