BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - APRIL 15: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing talks to the media after qualifying for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit on April 15, 2017 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Daniel Ricciardo Is predicting a much faster Russian Grand Prix with a grippier track surface than previously experienced but just what that means for the Australian driver and his Red Bull Racing driver is yet to be seen.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's fourth round of the 2017 Formula One World Championship season, Daniel revealed that the coming race should be a lot more enjoyable than it has been in previous seasons, despite the fact that he won't get much of a chance to relax during the 57 lap event.

In the past the Sochi Autodrom has seen very little tyre wear, which heavily influenced strategy. How do you feel about visiting the track with this season's more durable tyres. Will it be hard to get them working?
Now that we've been to the track a few times I think the tarmac will be better. It's a bit like Austin in the first few years, when it took a while to bed in. But I expect this year for the track to be grippy and with these cars it should be quite fast.

Does that bode well for the team's prospects?
I would say it's going to be more enjoyable than it has been so I'm looking forward to that. It's also a pretty busy track. There is not much room to rest. Yeah there is a long straight but other than that there is quite a bit going on. It keeps you thinking. Some parts of the track remind me a bit of India. Kind of flat and you can take the curbs quite easily. There are also a lot of third and fourth gear corners. The layout has definitely grown on me since we started racing there.

What about the location? We're at the seaside – any thought of going for a dip?
We're also going there a bit later this year so there is a chance of it being a bit warmer than in previous years. It's a pretty cool place. It's near the ocean and our hotel is right next to it. I've never gone into the water though because it's too cold for me!