Ricciardo has faced increased criticism for his lack of performance this year compared to high-flying team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, with 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve the latest to pile in over the Montreal weekend by questioning why the 34-year-old still has a place on the grid.
The Australian ostensibly returned to the Red Bull family halfway through the 2023 season to stake a claim for Sergio Perez’s seat in the main team, but his lacklustre results have now shifted his focus to being able to stay at RB for 2025.
In Canada, Ricciardo enjoyed his strongest all-round weekend of the season, qualifying fifth on Saturday before finishing eighth in a chaotic wet-to-dry race despite a poor getaway and a false start penalty.
And while Ricciardo is wary of a false dawn, he says he wants to keep the chip on his shoulder that he brought into the Montreal event as he fights for his F1 future.
“I’ve just got to keep it rolling,” Ricciardo replied when asked by Motorsport.com what he’s taking away from Canada as he looks to build momentum.
“That little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I’ve got to make sure that that stays there, and just keep that level of intensity.
“I don’t know if it’s the need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me.
“There is certainly some hope that it is [a turning point]. Obviously, I’ve got to repeat it and back it up to prove it.
“But I’m definitely happy with some things that I’ve acknowledged since Monaco, and it’s no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother.
“It’s just making sure that we keep tapping into it and that I’m holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and happy-go-lucky. Making sure I keep that edge about me.”
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Ricciardo feared his race was going the wrong way after struggling to get a good launch off a wet starting grid, which cost him positions.
That was compounded by a five-second time penalty for jumping the start, handed out because his car was slightly creeping forward before the lights went out.
“I felt like the race was getting away from us,” he explained. “The start itself, we were in drift city, so I lost a couple positions there. Around turn two I remember Lewis [Hamilton] just literally breezing by me.
“I knew I didn’t jump the lights, but I recall maybe the car was creeping when I was looking at the lights, so I guess we had probably a clutch issue.
“When the rain was coming, we pitted for new intermediates and the others stayed out, and we just lost track position there.
“So, I felt like the race was kind of getting away from us, but then with the slick at the end, we managed to claw our way back past some cars and a nice bag of points”
Watch: Canadian GP Race Review – Wet and Wild Vs Cool and Calm
