Resurgent Daniel Ricciardo stuns the field in Miami with a result even the Aussie himself couldn’t believe

Daniel Ricciardo delivered an impressive performance at the Miami Grand Prix, securing the fourth-fastest time in qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race. 

The result marked his best qualifying session of the season, significantly improving in his VCARB vehicle.

Ricciardo outpaced both Mercedes, all McLarens, and one Ferrari, ranking higher than teammate Yuki Tsunoda who finished 15th. 

Max Verstappen, the world champion, took pole position for Sunday’s sprint race.

The only drivers faster than Ricciardo were Verstappen, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. 

Ricciardo also finished ahead of Carlos Sainz from Ferrari, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Tsunoda trailing at 15th. 

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did not advance to Q3.

F1 commentator Martin Brundle praised Ricciardo’s performance, noting it as a significant display of his talent. 

‘What a performance from Daniel Ricciardo, finally he’s showing us what he’s capable of,’ he said. 

It was a result that shocked even Ricciardo himself.

‘I know it’s in me – but did I expect to do a second-row start? Probably not that good,’ he said.

‘I felt really good in SQ2 and I knew that lap would be good enough for SQ3. I think at that point I was P5 and in my head I was thinking ‘P5 would be really nice for SQ3’ and then we got P4.

‘It was wild because the laps were good but it’s hard to be really clean around here, it was a tricky track, and that middle sector, it’s hard to get it right. Both laps I kissed the wall, the first one was a hit, it felt pretty big.

‘I was definitely pushing. It was really good. I’m very proud of what I did today but also the team has been bringing upgrades the last few races. 

‘I had the chassis change last race in China and we had a new floor here, so it definitely looks like it’s turning around.’

Now the Aussie driver is hoping to cash in and compete with the top drivers for a podium finish.

‘Certainly. I can dream of everything,’ Ricciardo said. 

‘It’s just so nice starting towards the front. Even from the point of view of being out of that mid-pack, it’s normally a bit of chaos.

‘Hopefully you go with the leaders, it’s a short race so hopefully get through enough of it with them and end up with a big bag of points.’

Ricciardo has shown consistent improvement, outperforming Tsunoda in China and landing in the top-10 before an incident with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin.

Ricciardo aims to compete closely with the front runners in the upcoming race, aiming for top points. Despite securing pole, Verstappen expressed surprise over his performance due to several issues faced.