Daniel Ricciardo says that the gap between Mercedes and the rest of the Formula 1 grid is "too much" after the Red Bull driver qualified more than a second behind pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton in Barcelona.
The Australian will start third of the grid from Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix and out-qualified world champion Sebastian Vettel for the fourth time this season, but was 1.370 seconds behind the in-form Briton, which Ricciardo feels may be a difficult gap to bridge.
He told reporters: "On a positive, we're the best of the rest but we've still got to keep the others, keep the guys we have behind us behind us, but to close to them. A second is too much. Even with a different strategy in the race it's going to be very hard to make up a second per lap.
"We've got to just keep chipping away. Obviously they're doing a great job and, yeah, I'm sure I can still learn a bit. As I am, I think, each race.
"We'll put up a fight tomorrow and at least try to get on the podium. And if we can't do anything about them, then keep the rest behind us."
Ricciardo is currently seventh in the drivers' standings, nine points behind Vettel.
