“Every year is different”: Daniel Ricciardo not resting on past success at Monza heading into Italian GP

Daniel Ricciardo prefers to approach the Italian GP weekend with cautious optimism rather than relying on past successes. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the RB driver said that the changes made to the Monza might have removed some of its iconic characteristics.

After his hand injury in Zandvoort upon returning with the Faenza-based team in 2023, the Italian GP was one of the weekends Daniel Ricciardo missed while he recuperated from his injury. Monza remained an iconic circuit that suited his unique driving style and a venue where he clinched his last victory in 2021 with McLaren. The 34-year-old reckons past successes do not guarantee a result, while acknowledging his positive outcomes at the track.

The Monza circuit has been resurfaced with new asphalt, making it smoother than before. But there have been other changes to the circuit where they have removed some of the high kerbs and flattened them instead. One of the iconic corners, the Ascari chicane, has changed significantly after the changes. Commenting on the changes, Daniel Ricciardo lamented the changes made to the circuit and felt it had lost a bit of its character.

Reminded by Sportskeeda that Monza was a circuit he missed last year and if past successes were a motivation going into the weekend, Ricciardo said:

“Look it's nice to look back on the past and say, 'oh it's been a good track for me'. But every year is different, I don’t just rest on that. But I am aware that it is a circuit that has normally been a more positive one to me than not. There are a few that as you said on the calendar that I missed last year, this is one of them. I'm very happy to be back.”

Commenting on some of the changes made to the track, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“They’ve changed the kerbs, I went around the track this morning. I can't say I am that impressed because I think some elements have lost some of the character of the circuit. And I don't know if from like obviously a lot of you have been following F1 even longer than me and maybe it's just as a driver because we drive it and experience it. So maybe it makes sense to us, I don't know if it makes sense to let's say the outside. But kerbs and things like this create and also they make a circuit unique.”

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Daniel Ricciardo expresses disappointment towards the changes made to the Monza circuit

Daniel Ricciardo believes that the Monza circuit changes could strip it of its uniqueness, which are iconic to its character. He reckons the kerbs were underrated and added character and uniqueness, particularly to the Ascari chicane. According to Ricciardo, while the new asphalt looked good, the other changes are disappointing. The former Red Bull Racing driver and Italian GP winner feels that some of the old-school circuits need to be preserved in their entirety. The Ascari chicane has always been a driver favorite from F1 to junior series that feature it on their calendar.

Explaining parts of the changes made to the Monza circuit, Daniel Ricciardo spoke to media, including Sportskeeda, saying:

“Yeah when you just kind of put some flat kerbs and stuff and like second chicane for example, so turn five you know you get over the kerb, and then there was like a thin concrete strip and then gravel, you'd always just try and run your wheels on that little bit of concrete and use all the track, but not too much. That was like quite bumpy as well, anyway part of Monza. I think that's, it was kind of old school and now that's gone. There are a few things which, because we haven’t driven it yet. The resurfacing looks great, the asphalt looks really nice but the kerbs I am a bit disappointed in.”

Asked what his thoughts were on the changes at the Ascari chicane, Daniel Ricciardo said:

“That as well. Its really flat now. Ultimately because we can use so much kerb its going to be wider, easier to be flat than through Turn 9 and 10. Maybe I don’t want to be all negative, maybe that means we can follow closer because its easier, flat and you get a bigger slipstream. I think they still underrate kerbs and what it does to a circuit and how it changes the feeling, the character, the approach. So we’ll see tomorrow. I am still obviously going to enjoy driving here, but it feels like it has lost a bit of that old school-ness that it had. We got to a lot of modern circuits now, which are fun they are great. But if we are going to keep the old school ones, then lets keep them old school. Yeah, that's a little bit of my concern.”

Daniel Ricciardo feels some of the changes may allow for closer racing and create a bigger slipstream effect. Having finished ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda in Zandvoort, the Perth-born driver has been looking forward to the rest of the races on the calendar.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner has scored 12 points so far this season but is ten points behind his teammate. RB is sixth in the constructors' standings but is in need of a points-scoring weekend to counter rivals like Williams and Alpine, who brought heavily upgraded their cars to Zandvoort.