Aussie - third fastest behind team-mate Daniil Kvyat - reckons corners at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez suit them, even if the track's long straight doesn't
Monday 2 November 2015 11:10, UK
Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull look more competitive than they’d anticipated after an encouraging opening day of practice at the Mexican GP.
Ricciardo ended Friday afternoon's session third fastest behind team-mate Daniil Kvyat, with the pair splitting Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Engines have been expected to struggle more than usual this weekend given the track's altitude - the thinner air 2,250m above sea level works the turbo hybrids harder - and if Renault's power unit is finding the going tough, Ricciardo said he didn't notice any particular difference.
If anything, the Australian suggested that the RB11's aerodynamic effectiveness - downforce and drag are also reduced - might be helping them.
"What you lose from the engine and everything, you gain from the air sucked in," Ricciardo said. "The car's a lot more slippery from what I understand down the straights. It still feels pretty quick to be honest.
"We seemed competitive today; I don't know how much more Mercedes and Ferrari and Williams have for tomorrow, but seeing that the straight's so long, we were doing alright today."
Even if Red Bull find themselves losing out down the 0.8-mile start-finish straight, Ricciardo reckons they're making up time around the rest of the 2.7-mile lap.
"That's helping us a lot. Pretty much all the corners on the track suit us, it's just the one straight where I think we lose all our advantage," he said.
"All these tight, twisty corners and the fast-flowing esses in the middle, I think they work to our advantage.
"I think we're a little bit more competitive today than we thought we'd be, but we'll see what happens tomorrow."
Conditions were slippery on Friday, with a damp start to P1, spots of rain during the afternoon - and all on a resurfaced track that proved a handful even in dry conditions.
The track is new to just about every driver, too, meaning lots of spins. But Ricciardo expects the situation will improve.
"I think the track's still got potential. It's so slippery out there. Even in the afternoon when it was dry, the high-speed stuff was very slippery as if it was still damp," he added.
"I think it's just the new track and a bit of water this morning, as well as oil from the tarmac. I think once the grip's in, it'll be a lot of fun.
"The layout's pretty cool, the facilities are good and not a bad Friday for us as a team. We seem pretty competitive."
