A “p***ed” Daniel Ricciardo isn’t ruling out a podium in Austria as he aims to rebound from a “painful” weekend at Silverstone.
While teammate Lando Norris ran in the top six, the Australian languished well outside the top 10, eventually finishing 13th of just 14 cars to reach the chequered flag.
Off the back of stronger recent races, Ricciardo described his lack of pace as “odd” and has been working hard to find solutions ahead of Spielberg.
“Yes, no stone is going unturned,” he told Formula1.com on his quest for performance.
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“We’ve been pretty deep in it trying to get to the bottom of it because [at Silverstone] it wasn’t just a few tenths; it was a second, two seconds at times.
“It was a lot, so it was a pretty painful one and been trying to just figure it out.
“So, we’re back here, it’s a short turnaround, but yes, I think we’ve found out a few things and then hopefully even over the course of today, we’ll find a few more things before we hit the track tomorrow.”
Asked if he was “banging his head against the wall” at McLaren, the usually jovial Ricciardo explained he was trying to remain upbeat.
“I kind of did enough of that last year, so I’m not trying to beat myself up – I’m just trying to be productive, or constructive,” he said.
We go again next week in Austria, DR. ? pic.twitter.com/o3fopzRgdA
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 3, 2022
“But of course, a race like Silverstone, yes, I’m p***ed – I’m not happy with that and it’s not one where two hours later we’re good and we’ll move onto the next one.
“That one, it’s still ongoing today. So we’re still trying to clear that one.”
The Red Bull Ring has been a happier hunting ground for McLaren, with Norris finishing on the podium in each of the past two years.
And Ricciardo maintains that if the potential is there for a top-three finish, he can deliver.
“It’s not like I need three good races in a row to then put the car on the podium,” he claimed. “It’s like, if the car’s good enough to be on the podium this weekend, I believe I can do it.”