"If we could leave here with Q3 and points, I think we could be very happy" - Daniel Ricciardo shares his expectations for F1 Bahrain GP

Daniel Ricciardo believes that rival suggestions about RB being more competitive than their performance from preseason testing are not accurate. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, the Australian stated that time would ultimately reveal their position in the pecking order.

Williams' driver Alex Albon was one of those who suggested that RB could be quicker. Helmut Marko himself suggested that Daniel Ricciardo was compromised by Pierre Gasly on the first day of the test or his lap-time could have been closer to Max Verstappen.

The RB driver dismissed such speculations and felt some teams could still be quicker than theirs. He said that making it to the final session of qualifying scoring points would be ideal but he refrained from being certain of doing so. He continued to downplay their performance from the test.

Asked by Sportskeeda if the rival team's analysis of RB being more competitive than they looked in the test was accurate, Daniel Ricciardo replied:

"Time will tell, but I honestly don't think so. Like I want to say after testing we have a bit of an idea of the gap to the leaders. Okay, give or take probably a few tenths. But knowing that it's still, I think a pretty big gap."

"I want to say I'm realistic, that I think there is some teams that fit inside that gap. Looks if we could leave here with Q3 and points, I think we could be very happy. Do I stand here now and say that we are going to definitely be in Q3 and the points? Still a bit unsure, honestly," he added.

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Daniel Ricciardo claims his current car is not like Red Bull's RB19

Daniel Ricciardo claimed that the RB's VCARB 01 is markedly different from Red Bull's 2023 title-winning car. While acknowledging the potential for their team to adopt certain components from their sister team, he refuted the notion that their car is simply a carbon copy of the RB19.

Ricciardo expressed his belief that their performance at the upcoming weekend in Bahrain would put an end to much of the speculation surrounding their car. The 34-year-old also emphasized that their car is not currently at the level of a front-runner and remained cautious about making any premature predictions.

The Aussie told the media, including Sportskeeda:

"I think look this is where I think look again we'll get our answer in 48 hours but I think some people think it's that and we're gonna be the Aston of last year or the pink Mercedes of a few years ago, let's see."

"I would love to surprise myself and be fighting for a podium, but I would say once we get the result on the weekend, people will calm down a bit. Obviously we do have some components that we're allowed to use and things like that but it is not to the level that I think some people are thinking or hoping or whatever," he added.