Emerson Fittipaldi is backing both Ricciardo and Norris to be the…

Daniel Ricciardo took home his first points of the 2022 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix but is under no illusions when it comes to how far McLaren has progressed.

While admitting to still being “on a high” after his sixth-place finish in Melbourne, Ricciardo added that does not mean teething issues with the MCL36 car are over.

“Whilst the weekend in Melbourne was definitely a positive step forward, we still have a long way to go to get the car in the place we want it to be.”

It is consistent with what teammate Lando Norris said in the lead-up to this weekend’Ricciardos race.

“Australia was a more positive weekend for us, but we know we still have a lot of work to do to get where we want to be,” he said.

“Let’s keep improving, keep learning more about the car and be ready to take advantage of any opportunities that come up.”

Emerson Fittipaldi is backing both Ricciardo and Norris to be the…

F1 legend and two-time world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is certainly backing both Ricciardo and Norris to be the big winners at Imola, declaring they have podium potential.

“I’m sure they will continue to improve a lot for the Grand Prix in Imola,” he told VegasInsider.

“I was with McLaren in Jeddah, and [team CEO] Zak Brown confirmed that they’ll continue to get better for each race. For the next four or five Grands Prix. McLaren is running strong but should be stronger at Imola. McLaren was without a doubt the most improved team at the Grand Prix in Australia.

“Both Mercedes and McLaren knows how to work within the new rules. In terms of mechanical grip, they improved a lot. The engine has also improved quite a lot. Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo are going to be strong again. Without a doubt. They have the potential to be on the podium in Imola.”