Daniel Ricciardo admits he is “curious” to find out if he can put Renault well up the grid at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The Australian has led the most laps of any driver around the streets of Monte Carlo over the past three seasons, encompassing his heartbreak in 2016 and redemption last year with Red Bull.
Now at Renault, Ricciardo does see the potential to spring a surprise based on past results.
“I’m actually really curious to go to Monaco, I’m curious to see how it all feels,” he said. “I’m excited to go back there because I’ve always loved it.
“I think of [Robert] Kubica putting it on P2 a few years ago, [Pastor] Maldonado, he was always a bit of a Monaco beast at getting the car at the time a bit further up.
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“I’m definitely optimistic that if I can drive the track the way I want to drive it then I can get the car further up than maybe it might be on a normal track.
“Whether further up means the top six or top five, we’ll see. I’m excited.”
His problem may be that the Renault car simply isn’t strong enough in any area to possibly jump ahead of some rivals, particularly after a poor weekend in Spain.
“Monaco is quite unique, but I think the biggest thing is confidence,” Ricciardo argued.
“On Thursday, all I’ll want to do is get out of myself to be confident with the car and have the confidence to tackle the kerbs and brake where I want to brake. I think, if I can get that, then I’ll be able to do something.”
