Daniel Ricciardo says building confidence will be essential to a strong weekend in Monaco.
Ahead of the race he won so memorably with Red Bull 12 months ago, the Australian has already touted the possibility of upsetting the order towards the front of the grid.
However, when it comes to setting about that task, Ricciardo knows it won’t be easy.
“We’ll see how far up we can get,” he stated. “I think a win is a stretch, but I think we can get a good result maybe our best of the year. We’ll see.
“Monaco stands out where you can visibly see a driver that is having a good time driving the car around there, and the ones who are lacking that enjoyment or that confidence.
“It’s a place where you can see the driver’s expressions inside the helmet by watching the way they are attacking the circuit. That’s what’s so special about that place. I don’t think any other track shows that.
“The first thing I want to do with this car is get comfortable with it; have enough confidence jumping around on the kerbs, getting close to the walls, that the car is going to stick where I want it to.
“And then I know I’ll be able to drive with a happiness that is going to give me that confidence to put it further up the grid.”
Achieving that hasn’t always been easy for Ricciardo at Renault this season, with the braking and ride two areas he has identified.
In addition to that, the R.S.19 hasn’t been as competitive in the midfield as hoped with the team only scoring twice in the first five races and currently sitting eighth in the Constructors’ standings.