Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo has revealed Toro Rosso’s goal this season is to beat Williams and Sauber in the constructors’ championship.
Last year, the second Red Bull team beat only the three newest teams on the grid – Caterham, Marussia and defunct HRT – but already this season Toro Rosso has more points than established duo Sauber and Williams.
“For now, our goal is to match and maybe beat the Williams and Sauber (cars),” Australian Ricciardo is quoted by Italiaracing.
“At the moment I think Force India is too far away: it is a very fast car compared to ours.”
Ricciardo, 23, has taken a feisty approach so far to his battle this year with teammate Jean-Eric Vergne.
But the Australian said he has the tension under control.
“There is obviously competition between us, but we are working together to develop the car,” he insisted.
For the Toro Rosso pair, 2013 could be remembered as a true ‘win or lose’ contest.
Mark Webber’s potential departure could open up a seat at the main Red Bull team, but one of the duo could be shunted aside altogether to make room for the energy drink company’s latest young hotshoe, Antonio Felix da Costa.
“It’s true,” Ricciardo admitted, “there is always great pressure on us, but we’re used to it.
“We are the best, we are in Formula 1, we are part of a group like Red Bull, so we can’t afford to make mistakes,” he continued.
“If I’m not good enough, it’s right that there’s trouble for me. It may sound harsh, but it’s the law of the sport and we know how it works.”