Ricciardo eyeing big Miami sprint result after standout qualifying

Daniel Ricciardo says he is dreaming of a podium finish after qualifying his RB in fourth for the sprint at the Miami Grand Prix.

The 34-year-old has yet to score a point this season, but the strong showing at the Miami International Autodrome provides a good opportunity for him to open his account for the year.

The Australian twice hit the wall on the outside of the tricky chicane complex during SQ2, but was able to get through to the final section of qualifying, where he bested the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, as well as the two McLarens and two Aston Martins. He will line up alongside Sergio Perez's Red Bull.

"Certainly," he replied, when asked by Sky Sports F1 if he could dream of a podium finish in the Miami Grand Prix sprint, adding: "I can dream of everything" when the win was then suggested to him.

"It's just so nice starting towards the front. Even just being out of that mid-pack, [as] that [is] normally a bit of chaos.

"So, hopefully you go with the leaders at the beginning. It's a short race so hopefully get kind of through enough of it with them in the first few laps and end up with a good bag of points."

'I've been able to do it before...'

When addressing his two brushes with the barriers, Ricciardo joked he "didn't know if that helped his lap time" whilst admitting the first hit was "pretty big".

"It's hard to be really clean around here," he contended.

"It's just a tricky track and that little middle sector, jumping across the chicane, it's hard to get a right, so both laps I hit the wall on the exit sixteen. The first one was a hit - it actually felt pretty big."

Despite his difficult start the 2024, the RB driver has been plotting a resurgence, as he sets his sights on returning to the main Red Bull team.

The fourth-place in Miami represents his best qualifying effort since he returned to racing in July, when he took over from Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

"I've been able to do it before, so I know it's in me," he said when asked about his session. "But did I expect to do a second-row start? Probably not that good."