Ricciardo: “The mistake at turn 12? I wanted to greet the fans"

The rain that fell on Albert Park will certainly have contributed but the Red Bull which appeared in the first two free practice sessions in Australia and proved to be competitive and capable of battling with Mercedes and Ferrari.

“Today was a bit like experiencing four seasons in one! – You joked Daniel Ricciardo, 3rd and 4th – It's really a shame I wasn't able to ride much, in any case I don't feel frustrated. The RB12 responded well and the result wasn't bad. There will be work to do on Saturday, however if variable weather occurs again we will be ready. The only thrill I felt was going out onto the gravel at turn 12. There were quite a few fans in that area and I thought it would be nice to say hello to them!”.

“Overall it went well and the car showed encouraging signs – the thought of Daniil Kvyat – 2nd and 10th – Unfortunately I only completed 24 laps, however I tried to get the most out of the car in order to have some useful information for qualifying and the race. For now, no predictions can be made. With this weather it was not possible to compare ourselves with the competition."

Chiara Rainis