Daniel Ricciardo ready for Hami battle

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has put Monaco misery behind him and is hoping for another epic battle with Lewis Hamilton in Montreal this weekend.

Two weeks after taking a first Formula One pole position, only to lose out on victory for the second race running due to no fault of his own, the smiling Australian returns to the scene of his first grand prix victory in feisty mood.

Triple world champion Hamilton, aiming for a fifth Canadian Grand Prix win after also taking his first career triumph at the Circuit Gilles Villenueve, and his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg will be favourites again.

But Ricciardo reckons he can be a contender, particularly at a track where the weather can act as a leveller. Temperatures are forecast to be cool with some rain.

“Now that I’ve sort of got over Monaco I just want to get back in the car and basically smash it and get amongst it,” Ricciardo said. “You’re going to see the same intensity that you saw in Monaco. I plan on keeping that up.”