Ricciardo would like to spring a surprise in Monaco

Daniel Ricciardo hoped for better than a 13th place in Barcelona, so he left Spain disappointed. The Australian driver quickly moved past his disappointment and is eagerly looking forward to racing in Monaco, a track he holds in high regard: “With Spain behind us, we now look towards Monaco, which is obviously a very special place. I love racing there because I really enjoy street circuits. I’ve only really raced on street circuits in Macau and Monaco, but I loved them from the first moment I raced there. Racing on these bumpy and slippery roads with the walls so close is fantastic. There are so many things a driver has to deal with. There is no room for error.”

For the Toro Rosso driver, Monaco is the kind of circuit that can reveal great talent, and according to him, the performance differences are heightened on such a track: «In a way, this is how racing should be. It really separates the great drivers from the good ones, and it’s something I appreciate. It’s not really about the car – the vehicle doesn’t make a big difference on real street circuits like Monaco. If I were slow on a street circuit, I would know it’s more about me, and I would need to find a solution on my end. For me, everything is a bit clearer on a street circuit. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! I love racing between the walls – there’s even more adrenaline. Even if the speeds are slower, it feels like it’s twice as fast.»

The Australian driver visited Milton Keynes this Thursday to spend the day in the Red Bull Racing team’s simulator to prepare for the Monaco event. He is eagerly anticipating this Grand Prix and would love to be the surprise of the weekend in the Principality, much like Maldonado in Spain: «As a fan, I particularly remember the race in the wet in 2008 when Lewis Hamilton had a puncture and came back to win in the end. It was really exciting. However, for me, 2010 was the best. It was my first year in Monaco, and I won in Formula Renault 3.5. A few hours later, Mark (Webber) won the Grand Prix, so it was kind of like a perfect Australian weekend. I have fond memories of that; it was really a lot of fun. So I hope I can somewhat repeat that next weekend. I think Pastor (Maldonado) performed a little miracle in Barcelona, and I hope to do something similar in Monaco.»

Regarding his teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne believes that this Grand Prix is not a home race even if some observers think that Monaco can be considered a home Grand Prix for French drivers: “The next step is Monaco. We obviously don’t have a French Grand Prix at the moment,” Vergne explains. “And some say that Monaco is like a home Grand Prix for French drivers. I don’t think that way; it’s not my home race. In fact, if I had to choose one, it would be Spa.”

This weekend will be almost a first for Vergne in Monaco, especially since the last time he drove on the streets of the Principality, things didn’t go very well, but he is convinced that in an F1 car, things will be different: “It’s going to be a big test. I’ve only raced once in Monaco in the past, it was in the World Series by Renault. To be honest, I was really bad; not very smart in qualifying and slow during the race! I’m going to work on the simulator and do a better job in F1, but it’s a real challenge. And there’s nothing wrong with that – challenges are a good thing.”