Ricciardo 'unsure' why he's well off the pace after qualifying nightmare

Daniel Ricciardo has been left scratching his head after only qualifying 18th for his home race on Saturday (March 23).

The Perth native was once again outshone by his Visa Cash App RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who qualified P8 for Sunday's Australian GP.

READ MORE: F1 star causes red flag after major crash at Australian Grand Prix

Ricciardo has no guarantee of a seat for 2025 and is aware that the next ten races may play a massive role in his career trajectory by the time the middle of the season arrives.

He isn't making the current task any easier, after being knocked out in 18th place after Q1 at the Australian Grand Prix - a home event that he loves dearly.

Should he find a way to score points and start beating Tsunoda, then he could well force himself into the frame for a seat at his former team in Red Bull.

But he’s a long way from achieving that prophecy currently, having been knocked out of Q1 at his home race and outqualified by Tsunoda at all three events this season.

READ MORE: Drive to Survive legend claims former F1 driver might NEVER return

Ricciardo: I've got the confidence

Speaking about his performances of late, Ricciardo claims his confidence is still at a high level and not part of the reason for a downturn in fortunes.

“It’s just in the stopwatch. I feel like I’ve got the confidence in the car. I think I’m putting everything into it,” he said.

“I know what I am capable of and those laps I know when I’ve crossed the line and those laps are normally a little better in terms of competitiveness.

“We’ve just been pushing and not really getting the result. We’ll look into it, I’m still a bit unsure about a few things, but I think going into the session, the confidence is there.”

Before Ricciardo gets a chance to look ahead at any opportunities ahead of him, he may well be forced to worry about what is behind him with Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings.

The Kiwi made his discontent clear last season after VCARB decided to announce Ricciardo alongside Tsunoda and wouldn’t need an invitation to take the ‘Honey Badger’s’ seat away from him.

READ MORE: F1 pundit SLAMS team after 'EMBARASSING' start to 2024

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