RB Formula 1 boss Laurent Mekies has tipped Daniel Ricciardo to recover from his “rough patch” to reassert himself as the driver who was at the “top list” of rival teams.
Ricciardo had cemented himself as one of the strongest drivers on the grid with his race-winning exploits at Red Bull and then in the midfield with Renault prior to 2021.
However, the Australian struggled to adapt to McLaren’s cars on either side of a regulation change and suffered a comprehensive thrashing at the hands of Lando Norris.
Having been axed from McLaren after 2022, Ricciardo returned to the Red Bull stable and replaced Nyck de Vries in its second-string squad midway through the previous season.
While he was sidelined for five rounds with a broken hand from a crash in Zandvoort, the 34-year-old produced a stellar outing in Mexico which saw him qualify in fourth.
Mekies, who has replaced the long-serving Franz Tost at the helm of the rebranded side, believes Ricciardo can replicate that showing more consistently to return to the form that made him an attractive market proposition.
“He’s an incredible asset for the team,” Mekies told F1.com at the launch of RB’s 2024 car, the VCARB 01. “There are not many drivers in the field with his sort of pedigree, that many race wins, with that sensibility for the car, with that spirit for our people.
“If you have a large group of people that is just motivated a bit more because of all the energy a driver can convey, it makes a difference. It’s hidden lap time, not one you can see on your tracker on the wall. It makes a difference. It’s great to have him on board in terms of speed, spirit and car development. He was on everyone’s top list until a couple of years ago. Then obviously he had a rough patch. We’re lucky to be the ones to rebuild with him from that.
“There is no reason why Daniel is not on the same trajectory as the one that was putting him on those top lists a few years ago. He has from that era gained experience and a lot of learning about how to manage his energy. I see him very hungry, extremely motivated, extremely focused.”
Meanwhile, Ricciardo will be partnered alongside Yuki Tsunoda, who is gearing up for his fourth season with the Faenza-based team after sustaining an impressive 2023.
“I’m very impressed with Yuki,” Mekies added. “Ultimately he has proven, month after month, season after season that his speed is incredible. He’s had quite a few team-mates now and all the time the speed kept building up.
“If you combine that with his integration with the team, his technical understanding that is growing, you have a very strong package. He’s a hard worker, he’s living in Faenza, he comes to the factory extremely often. He has an incredible natural speed, so the combination with Daniel in terms of pushing each other makes it a very strong line-up.”
