Red Bull feels confident at Suzuka
Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen enjoyed a most encouraging Friday. After their one-two finish in Malaysia, they're looking forward to another great result at Suzuka.
Fresh off his victory at Sepang last weekend, Daniel Ricciardo arrived at the Suzuka circuit with an even wider smile than usual.
Comfortable behind the wheel of his single-seater, the Australian is already confident after a studious and performing Friday: « We had a very good day and it was a very positive afternoon. We made some improvements compared to this morning, and our fastest lap, which was cut short by the virtual safety car, seemed to be in the same times as Kimi Räikkönen’s. And our long run on Hard tires seems very good too. »
Once again, the Red Bulls seem in a position to beat the Ferraris: « If we improve the car further in qualifying, we can be closer to the Mercedes and probably ahead of the Ferraris, » Ricciardo notes again.
On Max Verstappen’s side, the satisfaction is just as great: “I think it’s one of the best Fridays we’ve experienced. Everything seemed to be working very well. The setup is good, and we are fast on both types of tires. After Malaysia, we want another good result. The track suits us, and we are close to the best.”
The rain that might fall on Suzuka on Saturday and Sunday doesn’t scare the Dutchman, quite the opposite: « There could be rain later in the weekend. That could be good for us. It’s not certain, but if it happens, we might be even stronger in qualifying and in the race. »
