'We have definitely stepped in the right direction' - Ricciardo

Having topped both Friday practice sessions in Budapest, Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo was full of praise for the positive step made by Red Bull with its updated aero package.

The Australian saw off two challenges by Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel as he smashed last year's pole time set by Nico Rosberg by 1.5 seconds.

As the Hungaroring isn't a power-dependent track, Red Bull was tipped to be a threat for both Mercedes and Ferrari, and with the long-awaited upgrades being fitted to the car Ricciardo feels they've made a big improvement.

"We brought some updates – they seem to be working. You never know what the other guys are doing, but I do feel like we have gained some grip in the car," Ricciardo said.
"I wasn't complaining too much on the radio today, so we have definitely stepped in the right direction."

With the struggles Ferrari seemed to be having during both sessions with a lack of grip, and the big step in performance the update has brought, Ricciardo is hopeful of carrying the positive momentum from today's sessions into tomorrow and fighting for a front row start.

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When asked whether the new developments on the Red Bull made it feel like a B-specification car, the Australian replied: "If we can maintain this tomorrow it is a B car. Today it certainly behaved more like a B.

"This morning looked strong – out of the box we were the first one on a green track, and basically we kept good pace. Even the long runs were strong, and this afternoon we were able to replicate that with even a hotter track.

"We know this track is one that suits us, so if we can extract every bit of that out of the car we may have a shot at fighting for big points these weekend. I am pretty happy – I genuinely feel we can stay at the pointy end tomorrow."