Daniel Ricciardo has promised to be ready to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend which will happen at the “unpredictable” Baku City Circuit.
McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has a chequered history in Baku, having won the race in 2017 but has also had two DNFs in 2018 and 2019 on the same street circuit, with the 2018 retirement turning out to be controversial after colliding with then-teammate Max Verstappen.
The honey Badger will head into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a rocky start to the new season, his poorest since his debut complete season in 2012. However, he remains a fan of the track where he previously completed a spectacular three-car pass en route to a historic triumph.
“I’m a big fan of the Baku Circuit, it has some exciting features and it’s always a fun battle heading into Turn 1, where you often end up with three cars running side by side,” he said.
“There’s a couple of different ways we can play it strategy-wise this weekend but track position for lights out on Sunday will be important, even with the overtaking opportunities the longest straight on the calendar offers.”
The Baku City Circuit’s unpredictable nature provides McLaren with the opportunity to surprise, like they did in Monza last season. And this weekend, Ricciardo will be striving to be the driver in the right place at the right moment.
“There’s always an element of unpredictability at street circuits so I’m ready to take advantage of any opportunities that come my way,” the Australian added.
“Whilst Monaco wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be, I’m feeling confident that we can keep pushing ahead and make the most of this weekend.”
