Ricciardo skipped the first practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix as Red Bull Racing opted to field Ayumu Iwasa, fulfilling one of the team’s rookie practice appearances. However, inclement weather in Free Practice 2 limited Ricciardo’s track time, leaving him with little to gain ahead of a potentially hectic final practice session on Saturday.
Expressing frustration, Ricciardo lamented the challenging conditions, where the track wasn’t wet enough for proper wet-weather running nor dry enough to provide meaningful data for dry setups.
Despite the lack of driving, Ricciardo found value in observing from the pit wall, drawing parallels to his experiences early last season. Analyzing data, listening to driver feedback, and imagining strategic scenarios allowed him to stay engaged and learn from the sidelines.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Ricciardo remained optimistic about their chances for points on race day. He noted Yuki Tsunoda’s strong performance in the morning session and believed Red Bull was positioned at the forefront of the midfield battle, targeting the elusive P11 spot.
Looking ahead, Ricciardo acknowledged the uncertainty of qualifying but remained confident that Red Bull was performing as expected within the competitive midfield.
The final practice session in Japan is scheduled to commence at 13:30 AEDT, followed by qualifying at 17:00 AEDT.
