Ricciardo is ready to go racing again

Daniel Ricciardo says it doesn't matter that it's his home Grand Prix this weekend, he just wants to get back racing again.
MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22:  Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain.  (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool  // P-20160222-00464 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22:  Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain.  (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool  // P-20160222-00464 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //
MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160222-00464 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

The Red Bull Racing ace hasn’t driven a car in anger since last November at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but will get the chance to go racing once again at this weekend’s curtain raiser in Melbourne, Australia.

As the home crowd hero, Ricciardo will face extra attention throughout the race weekend, which gets underway on Friday, but the Australian admits the first race could have been anywhere and it wouldn’t have affected his enthusiasm.

“I’m ready to go,” he said. “I was ready in January and I’m still ready now! Just keen for those lights to go out and to get racing.

Daniel RicciardoDaniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo

“I think everyone’s excited to get going, but even if the race was elsewhere I think there’s no-one more excited than me to go racing.”

Ricciardo shared testing duties with team-mate Daniil Kvyat during the two four-day sessions in Barcelona last month.

Having developed their own engines, based on a Renault, for the forthcoming season, Ricciardo believes the RB12 is better suited for the opening rounds than it’s predecessor.

He said: “Testing’s been a lot better for us this year. You still don’t really know where you are until you get to Melbourne, but we’re better prepared than we were this time last year so we can use that as some confidence.”

MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22:  Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain.  (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool  // P-20160222-00427 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22:  Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain.  (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool  // P-20160222-00427 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //
MONTMELO, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing drives during day one of F1 winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on February 22, 2016 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // P-20160222-00427 // Usage for editorial use only // Please go to www.redbullcontentpool.com for further information. //

Kvyat, entering his second season, is also keen to get the season started, and believes he can improve on his seventh place in 2015.

He said: “I think compared to this time last year, I’m feeling a lot more confident and comfortable in the team, I know everyone a lot better and everyone knows me, so it’s good that we start off the season with this kind of confidence.”

The first practice session of the Australian Grand Prix gets underway at 1:30am on Friday morning.

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