Ricciardo savors the first pole position of his career

Daniel Ricciardo couldn’t have chosen a better place to achieve the first pole position of his career. The Monaco track allows no room for error, and the Australian hasn’t made any since the beginning of the weekend, unlike his young teammate, Max Verstappen, who has already hit the barrier twice.

Ricciardo’s feeling is only stronger: Yes, it’s definitely a special place! I knew coming here that we would have an opportunity and it felt very good from Thursday. I had it in the back of my mind. After Barcelona, I felt a bit… In the last races, I felt like I drove very well but didn’t get the maximum reward in return. So, I came this weekend with quite a bit of confidence and hope to be in this position, he said after the session.

The Red Bull powered by a Renault power unit has made significant progress since the beginning of the season. Verstappen’s victory in Barcelona proved it, and this pole position confirms it today: The car is really good here, we have a good package behind us, and it’s nice to be able to make the most of it.

A great way for the Australian to bounce back after being overshadowed by his teammate in Spain two weeks ago: « Things didn’t go my way in Barcelona. So I wanted to bounce back quickly. » Task accomplished for him, as he will have an offset strategy tomorrow, starting on Super Soft tires, unlike the other top nine who will be on Ultra Soft tires. Nothing to worry about for the Australian, however: « I don’t think it changes much. In Q2, my lap was faster on Super Softs than on Ultra Softs, so I don’t think there’s a big difference between the two types of tires. »

From our special correspondent in Monaco