Ricciardo regularly aims for points

In 2013, Daniel Ricciardo will begin his second full season in Formula 1. His goal will be to do better than last year, where he scored 10 points and finished 18th in the championship behind his teammate. “I don’t want to come across as arrogant or someone with a big head, but during your first year you’re just happy to be in Formula 1. But once you get used to it, it’s not enough anymore. So this year, just being there and racing is no longer enough for me. I want to be there for a reason,” explains the Australian driver.

During the winter testing, the STR8 seemed to provide more satisfaction to its drivers than the STR7 from last season. Enough to approach the new championship with a smile. « My confidence is higher now and that’s why I think I can achieve good results. I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. »

With a pack that appears even tighter than in 2012, the fight for points will be fierce. Yet, regularly making it into the Top 10 will be essential for 2013 to be more positive than 2012. “I think if we can regularly finish in the points, it will be a good start. When you’re racing to finish 15th or 16th, it’s not fun. When there’s a reward at the finish, it makes things more exciting,” Ricciardo highlights, who also hopes to give his teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne, a hard time: “Finishing in the points as often as possible is the goal, as well as being ahead of my teammate. Not just with a one-point lead but, hopefully, with a significant advantage. That would make me happy.”

In 2012, Ricciardo often proved to be faster than Vergne in qualifying, while the Frenchman managed to fare better in races. This explains why “JEV” finished ahead in the championship. The Australian also knows that his performances are scrutinized by the Red Bull team management and that dominating his French teammate could put him at the top of the list when choosing Mark Webber’s replacement, should he decide to leave. That certainly provides extra motivation.