Ricciardo: Renault faster than Ferrari

Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo reckons his RP20 is faster than results suggest and “has a bit more speed than Ferrari”.

The French manufacturer has claimed eighth place at the three opening rounds of the delayed 2020 season in Austria and Hungary, with Ricciardo taking back-to-back P8s in the last two races.

Ricciardo finished the Hungarian Grand Prix just two seconds behind Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, while Racing Point’s Sergio Perez split the pair in seventh.

“We have had eighth every race,” Ricciardo said. “Look, obviously eighth is not bad, but I do really feel that we’ve had a bit more speed than an eighth-place car in all three of those races. At least the last two.

“I feel that we are not far from one of those top five, top six finishes. I feel that we have a bit more speed than Ferrari at the moment. At least it seems so, the race pace is not too bad. So it is coming.

“It is good to have got the points, but I know there are some bigger ones around the corner. It looked like we had a bit more pace than McLaren today. I am not sure where their race went, but we were pretty close to the Racing Point, so not too shabby.”

Ricciardo sits 11th in the drivers’ standings, one place and one point behind Vettel, while Renault occupies sixth place in the 2020 constructors’ championship, 15 points adrift of fifth-placed Ferrari.

The Australian hopes upgrades coming in time for back-to-back races at Silverstone will help boost Renault’s chances in the midfield fight.

“Updates are always pretty nice and handy, and Silverstone is one of those tracks, there is some low-speed stuff, but it is pretty flowing with medium- and high-speed corners,” he explained.

“[That’s] really where the car is loaded, and where you see the front endplate, those types of corners where it drags and everyone is trying to work on this area of the car to keep some downforce in it and that high-speed role.

“Silverstone will test that and see if these updates can help.”