Red Bull development ‘brought forward’

Editor

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that work on Red Bull’s RB14 has been “brought forward” in order for the team to avoid another slow start to the season.

This year’s championship once again saw Red Bull off the pace at the start of the campaign regardless of them being considered a safe bet.

In recent weeks, though, the team has come good with Ricciardo and Max Verstappen bagging back-to-back podium doubles.

“I always feel like our starts to the season have been slow, particularly since I’ve been with the team, but as far as I’m aware that’s not planned. I don’t know why exactly,” the Aussie said.

“We definitely get stronger and it’s a nice trend to get better and better but we’d like to start better. I still don’t really know the answer why that is.

“We always feel like we start on the next year’s car early enough but maybe what we think is early isn’t early enough. I know for next year it has been brought forward more than it was for this year.

“It’s never the intention not to be on the podium in Melbourne, it’s probably more my intention than any other race.”