West Australian Daniel Ricciardo ticked off the first item on his to-do list then predicted he was set for a strong Australian Grand Prix debut.

The 22-year-old Toro Rosso racer squeezed his way through to final qualifying at Albert Park then stamped his name on 10th place on the grid.

In his first full season in Formula One, Ricciardo qualified ahead of – importantly – his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne as well as experienced Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

He managed to leave Vergne behind in the second session, but only just, beating the Frenchman by a fraction of a second.

“The ambition at the start of the weekend, as far as qualifying was concerned, was to get into Q3 and we have achieved that,” Ricciardo said.

“Before we got to Melbourne, we did not have a clear idea of how our pace would compare with the other teams.

“In fact, I thought Q3 might have been a little bit out of reach, so this was a really positive result for me and for the team.”

Ricciardo, who raced in a handful of rounds last year on loan to HRT, said he was positive although starting from mid-grid would be new for him.

“We should have a strong race as we are in good shape, so it will be a case of trying to get the best start possible followed by a good opening lap and see how we get on from there,” he said.

“It will be a bit of a new experience for me compared to last year as this is the first time I start a Grand Prix from as high as the mid-field.

“Today, we have laid the groundwork for Sunday and Jean-Eric is not far behind me, which will keep me on my toes, so as a team we can be pleased with the work we have done.

Vergne, who is poised for an intriguing season-long battle with the Australian, was philosophical after his qualifying run stopped after the second session.

“That was not bad I think, even if it is a bit disappointing to have missed out on Q3 by a very small margin,” Vergne said.

“I got a very good lap in Q1, a bit less so in Q2. But I still have a lot to learn at this stage and the main thing is that everything went well and I am enjoying all the new experiences.

“There are many positives to be taken from the way qualifying went and I feel we have a car that should work well in tomorrows race,” he said.