Discovery can unleash Ricciardo; rival's shock Max support amid RB ...

Daniel Ricciardo says a difference between his car and RB teammate Yuki Tsunoda has been addressed – and potentially rectified – for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

The Australian suffered last race in Saudi Arabia where he finished 16th – two places behind Tsunoda – a result which was made to look worse by a late spin under no pressure.

Ricciardo said after the race weekend that issues with his car had been identified in Jeddah, making the event an “uphill battle”.

It was unclear if Tsunoda’s car was suffering from the same affliction, but Ricciardo’s comment that things “didn’t add up” hinted his teammate was not as heavily impacted.

Speaking on the matter again in Melbourne on Thursday, Ricciardo appeared to confirm that by saying that there were indeed differences within the RB garage.

“We found some inconsistencies across cars,” he said.

“When it’s so tight, especially in our position, you need everything to try and be there. That was that.”

He added: “Ahead of this weekend I think everything’s been addressed. I’ve been speaking to the team a lot. I was back in the sim as well after Saudi before heading home.

“I feel like we’ve done everything we can to come here with our best shot. I’m very, very happy that we’re probably 24 hours away from getting in the car.”

Even with the situation potentially rectified, earning a point in Melbourne would come as a shock with RB’s pre-season promise not being realised thus far.

Tsunoda told reporters in the paddock on Thursday that they’re aiming for P10, but “P13 or P14” was more realistic.

Watch the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX LIVE in 4K and ad-break free during racing. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

‘IT’D BE A BLOW’: MAX’S SURPRISE ALLY

Both Tsunoda and Ricciardo are gunning for the seat of Sergio Perez at Red Bull, but speculation has been rife that it’s the seat of Max Verstappen that could become vacant sooner.

Amid Red Bull’s off-track issues in 2024, the future of the team’s world champion megastar is now in question with links to Mercedes bubbling away.

It comes off speculation that Verstappen’s mentor and team senior adviser Helmut Marko could end his long-term association with Red Bull over the controversy engulfing team principal Christian Horner.

Such a move could also trigger the departure of Verstappen, who is widely believed to have an exit clause in his contract should the Austrian leave.

Perez confirmed on Thursday that his own Red Bull contract does not have the same clause, while he responded to the potential for his teammate to depart.

The Mexican initially said he did not “see any point” in speculating on Verstappen’s future when “we don’t know any facts”.

But Perez then gave his support for keeping things as they are in the champion garage, despite being consistently outgunned by Verstappen since arriving at Red Bull,

“I think the team is in a very strong position because with the results we’re currently having the harmony there is in the team I think to achieve that it just takes a lot of years probably, and right now the dynamic, everyone in the team is working really well together,” he said.

“The whole engineering group is really united. You can see that on track and how efficient we’ve been in the last years.

“I don’t see any reason to change it. It would always be a blow for the team if Max were to leave.”

‘I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE’: F1’S OTHER ‘AUSSIE’ GOES VIRAL

If you were new to the sport, you might think there are three Australians on the F1 grid this weekend at Albert Park.

Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri have plenty of home support, but so does the mulleted Valtteri Bottas, whose bond with Australia grows stronger by the year.

The partner of Adelaide cyclist Tiffany Cromwell calls Australia home during the off-season, and has made his love of the local culture no secret.

That was especially so this week when an Uber advert, featuring Bottas showing off his mullet, thongs and love for meat pies, went viral.

Bottas has also been put on a billboard for the Australian Grand Prix with Ricciardo and Piastri.

“At first, when somebody sent me the photo, I thought it was a joke, but then when I arrived in Melbourne I saw this big billboard with Oscar, Daniel and me, so it’s pretty cool,” Bottas told reporters on Thursday.

Bottas said Australia has become his favourite place on the F1 calendar, while reflecting on the Uber ad that has won him even more fans down under.

“It was fun. We actually did it pretty much when I got off the plane in Australia, so we got it done and it was so much fun,” he said.

“When I saw (the idea for the ad) it I was, like, ‘wow, that’s good for me’.

Asked about whether he would’ve even done such an ad during his stint as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, Bottas said he would have “struggled with his confidence”.

He added: “But now with more age, more experience, I’ve learned not to take myself too seriously.”