F1 2020: Daniel Ricciardo fourth in best ever Belgian Grand Prix qualifying

Daniel Ricciardo has pulled off a stunning feat that he never achieved with Red Bull and threw down the gauntlet to his rivals.

Ricciardo was in good spirits for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

Aussie F1 star Daniel Ricciardo has equalled his best qualifying result for Renault with a tremendous fourth placed finish in qualifying.

It‘s his best ever performance in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix’s Spa-Francorchamps course and equals his 2019 Canadian Grand Prix performance.

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With Ricciardo in fourth and Esteban Ocon qualifying sixth, Renault also posted on Twitter that it was “our best qualifying result since we returned as a works team”.

Ricciardo endured an up and down qualifying with an initial fastest time in Q1 before a “brake by wire” issue in Q2 threatened to derail his entire session.

Thankfully no issues arose during Q3 as the Aussie scorched his way around the track to post the third fastest time, only to be bumped back to fourth by former teammate Max Verstappen.

Sky Sports‘ Martin Brundle was impressed by the Aussies performance.

“That‘s the kind of performance he’s been threatening since Friday morning first practice,” he said. “He’s really been on good form.”

Daniel Ricciardo was all smiles.

Ricciardo even pulled out of his final lap but the field was breathing down his neck as well with the rest of the top 10 behind him within 0.6 of a second of his time.

The Aussie was thrilled with the result with his beaming smile still visible from behind his face mask.

“I‘m really happy with quali, I’ve been really happy all weekend,” Ricciardo said. ”We showed really good speed yesterday and last year it seemed these were our strong tracks, the lower downforce – Spa, Monza – and it seems like we’ve replicated it again this year. So pretty happy, it’s pretty fun around here when you get a lap hooked up.”

Ricciardo said he was hoping for a dry race, there‘s a 60 per cent chance of rain, and if it stays dry he believes he has a good chance to give the top three a run for their money.

“I think the start of the race we have a real opportunity and I think I could defend for a while if I had to so that‘s the plan,” he said. “Try and go a few better on the start and elbows out.”

Bugger of a last lap for Daniel - but still, a great grid for tomorrow - Daniel Ricciardo in 4th, we'll take that thanks! #F1

— Trevor Long (@trevorlong) August 29, 2020

Ask about the tattoo for Cyril Abiteboul if he gets a podium, Ricciardo said he didn’t want to get ahead of himself but would likely go something spontaneous, although he said “a honey badger on the backside” – Simon Lazenby’s suggestion – was “a good one”.

Ricciardo had already put in a great effort earlier this weekend having breezed to second in FP2 on Friday, ahead of Hamilton and behind Verstappen.

The brake by wire issue was the second issue of the weekend after a hydraulic issue stopped the Aussie on Friday.

Hamilton was once again in a league of his own, setting the track record on his way to another pole position.

But speaking on the team radio after the race, he dedicated his performance to actor Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther actor who died of colon cancer on Saturday.

“That one was for Chadwick Boseman – rest in peace,” Hamilton said over team radio.

Lewis Hamilton pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman.

Speaking after claiming pole, Hamilton admitted Boseman‘s death was tough to hear.

“Today‘s a really important pole for me because I woke up to the saddest news of Chadwick passing away and it’s been such a heavy year for all of us,” he said.

“That news really just broke me. It was really not easy to get back in focus coming in today with that hanging in my heart but I was like I‘ve got to go out there and drive to perfection because what he’s done for our people, what he’s done for superheroes shows all these young kids that it’s possible. He was such a shining light. Wakanda forever.”

But while Renault has produced a brilliant qualifying result above its place on the constructors championship ladder, the rapid decline of Ferrari has continued with both Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel lining up on the seventh row of the grid after being eliminated in Q2 in 13th and 14th place respectively.

After finishing the final practice session with Leclerc in 17th and Vettel in 20th, there was a belief that the Ferrari‘s wouldn’t even make it out of the first qualifying session but the pair only just scraped through.

After the session, Leclerc said on team radio “There‘s not much more I can do” before elaborating further in an interview after.

“It‘s difficult to find an explanation. We need to find the issue,” he said.

“It‘s very difficult in tough times like this but us drivers will try to make the best race possible but don’t expect any miracles.”

Sebastian Vettel added: “It‘s the true picture – it’s what the car can do. We did a little bit better than yesterday but it’s not a surprise today.”

Daniel Ricciardo has never started from the second row at Spa.

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID

Row 1 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

Row 2 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – Daniel Ricciardo (Renault)

Row 3 – Alexander Albon (Red Bull) – Esteban Ocon (Renault)

Row 4 – Carlos Sainz (McLaren) – Sergio Perez (Racing Point)

Row 5 – Lance Stroll (Racing Point) – Lando Norris (McLaren)

Row 6 – Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri) – Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri)

Row 7 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

Row 8 – George Russell (Williams) – Kimi Raikkonen (AlfaRomeo)

Row 9 – Romain Grosjean (Haas) – Antonio Giovinazzi (AlfaRomeo)

Row 10 – Nicholas Latifi (Williams) – Kevin Magnussen (Haas)