Photo: Daniel Ricciardo on Facebook
According to the Australian racing driver, “it was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career. But it’s time for a new challenge” at Renault from 2019, where Daniel Ricciardo will be teamed up with midmarker Nico Hulkenberg.
But first, let’s go through the background of this change of heart. From the earliest part of 2018, the driver told the media that he’s looking for a different team, with an emphasis on Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG. But those seats were taken by contract extensions for Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas, leaving Daniel with a sour taste in his mouth after letting make-believe get the best of him.
Moving on to the dynamics within Red Bull Racing, the head honcho clearly favors Max Verstappen. This attitude, as well as the lucrative contract and status of the Dutch driver within the team, led Daniel to think about what he wants from Formula 1 in the short- to medium-term. He’s 29 years old and experienced enough to challenge the top spot in the drivers’ championship behind the wheel of a competitive car, don’t forget that.
Then there’s Honda and Red Bull Racing, a pair-up that might or might not return the expected results in 2019. Renault aren’t without their faults, struggling with both reliability, output of the hybrid power unit, the chassis, and aerodynamics to some extent. But then again, a works team with deeper pockets than Red Bull is the more advantageous option for Ricciardo.
Him joining Renault as the no. 1 driver means that Carlos Sainz will be returned to Red Bull for the 2019 season, joining the mother team instead of Toro Rosso. But then again, the team didn’t confirm anything in this regard, with Pierre Gasly also seen as a perfect replacement for Daniel Ricciardo. Whichever way you look at it, the silly season just got sillier. And for that matter, a lot more interesting provided the on-track action we’ll get in 2019.
Speaking of what can only be described as the most surprising driver change of 2018, Cyril Abiteboul said that “we will have to repay his faith in us by delivering the best car possible.” The managing director of the French outfit added that “we welcome him to our growing team in 2019 with a great deal of pride, but also humility.”
Moving on to the dynamics within Red Bull Racing, the head honcho clearly favors Max Verstappen. This attitude, as well as the lucrative contract and status of the Dutch driver within the team, led Daniel to think about what he wants from Formula 1 in the short- to medium-term. He’s 29 years old and experienced enough to challenge the top spot in the drivers’ championship behind the wheel of a competitive car, don’t forget that.
Then there’s Honda and Red Bull Racing, a pair-up that might or might not return the expected results in 2019. Renault aren’t without their faults, struggling with both reliability, output of the hybrid power unit, the chassis, and aerodynamics to some extent. But then again, a works team with deeper pockets than Red Bull is the more advantageous option for Ricciardo.
Him joining Renault as the no. 1 driver means that Carlos Sainz will be returned to Red Bull for the 2019 season, joining the mother team instead of Toro Rosso. But then again, the team didn’t confirm anything in this regard, with Pierre Gasly also seen as a perfect replacement for Daniel Ricciardo. Whichever way you look at it, the silly season just got sillier. And for that matter, a lot more interesting provided the on-track action we’ll get in 2019.
Speaking of what can only be described as the most surprising driver change of 2018, Cyril Abiteboul said that “we will have to repay his faith in us by delivering the best car possible.” The managing director of the French outfit added that “we welcome him to our growing team in 2019 with a great deal of pride, but also humility.”
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