Daniel Ricciardo has urged Toro Rosso to continue improving throughout the remainder of the United States Grand Prix, after a relatively positive opening day at the new Circuit of the Americas. The team spent the majority of the day learning the new circuit, which was tougher than expected with the track yielding such little grip.
The Faenza-based outfit enjoyed a positive day at the new circuit, as they began preparations for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix. Despite the tricky track conditions early on in the day, the track’s grip gradually improved for the second practice session in the afternoon. Between the two sessions, Toro Rosso were also able to make minor improvements, which Daniel Ricciardo hopes the team can continue to do throughout the build-up to the race.
“The new track lived up to the expectations we had before coming here, although the lack of grip spoilt it a little bit.” Explained Daniel Ricciardo, “But as the track rubbers-in and cleans up, I’m sure it will get even better. The grip level did improve from morning to afternoon but I’d expected a bit more. We improved it from the first to the second session, but we need to keep on down doing that tomorrow. The tyres are taking a long time to warm up and that is one of the most complex aspects of the package that we must look at. It will definitely be an important factor tomorrow afternoon in qualifying.”
Daniel Ricciardo scored one point last time out at the incident-filled Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with 10th place. Despite a tough season with Toro Rosso, the Australian driver has recently enjoyed several competitive results as the season comes to a conclusion. The Australian driver will be looking to end the season on a positive note, starting with a competitive result this weekend at Austin.
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