Daniel Ricciardo expects Ferrari battle to continue on-track in Mexico
Daniel Ricciardo says he is expecting the race in Mexico to play out just like the United States Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo says he expects a similar battle in Mexico to the US Grand Prix. (McLaren)
"I’m looking forward to heading back to Mexico, it’s been too long," said the Australian ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Formula 1 returns to Mexico after a 2020 hiatus, and Ricciardo is expecting a major response from fans.
"The atmosphere is always incredible and that stadium section is an awesome part of the circuit, the fans are also some of the most passionate in the world."
"We’re really lucky to be racing there and in Brazil back-to-back because the excitement around the races is unreal."
In terms of the race itself, Ricciardo says he expects a repeat of the US Grand Prix.
"I’m expecting a similar battle to the one we had in Austin, although having not raced there last year, it's hard to say where we’ll truly be in terms of performance."
Ricciardo finished fifth in Austin behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with teammate Lando Norris eighth behind Carlos Sainz.
McLaren is currently third in the World Contructors' Championship, just 3.5 points ahead of the prancing horse.
The high-altitude Mexican circuit could make things quite technically different to Austin, says McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl.
"Mexico offers a unique challenge in terms of set-up that can often shake up the competitive order."
"The high altitude and thinner air mean we run higher levels of downforce than we usually might on a circuit like Mexico, and that can be tricky to get right."
Ricciardo recognises this role of the team in the crucial Constructors' championship battle with Ferrari.
"We’ll just keep focusing on what we can do as a team, try and score the most points as possible and see how the field shakes out."
"Viva Mexico!"
