Ricciardo excited about Montreal return

Editor

Daniel Ricciardo admits he cannot get enough of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, saying "it's just a ridiculous amount of fun".

It's not really a surprise though as the Red Bull driver won his maiden Formula 1 race in Canada last year, but his love affair with the track started long before that.

"Possibly winning has made me love it a little bit more but really I’ve loved it since my first lap, back when I was driving for Toro Rosso," the Australian said. "I remember coming back into the pits and saying "what a circuit", I was amazed at how good it was – and I’d only done an install."

He added: "It’s just a ridiculous amount of fun. You can jump across the kerbs and really get the car bouncing around. It’s like getting back to go-kart days, you really feel like you own it – and I love that. 

"You can get aggressive with it, and aim to just brush the wall. There’s a lot of risk but that brings a lot of adrenaline with it. It’d be wonderful if you were doing it in isolation but with 100,000 screaming fans urging you on, it’s just mega."

Team-mate Daniil Kvyat retired in his debut race last year with Toro Rosso, but the circuit also left a lasting impression.

"Yes, it’s quite intense but in a very different way," the Russian said. "The straights are long but you have these big braking zones. It has a little bit of the feeling of street circuit because of the walls but it is more of a traditional, classic track. 

"It has a unique feeling though and it’s a great place for racing. It’s great for drivers and the races are usually very exciting, so I’m looking forward to it."