DESPERATE DAN
MARK Webber predicts Renault is unlikely to challenge the top three in Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s second season with the team.
Webber said Ricciardo needed to focus on “making Renault work” and questioned whether there would be a seat at another team — especially as a lead driver — if he wanted out at the end of the year.
Ricciardo, who defected from Red Bull Racing in 2018, will be out of contract with Renault this year.
He was ninth in the driver standings in his first year with the French manufacturer last season — his worst result since his final year at Toro Rosso in 2013.
A seven-time grand prix winner with Red Bull, Ricciardo’s best result last year was fourth in Italy.
Webber had questioned compatriot Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull.
“It’s a long campaign ahead and it’s very hard to judge where they (Renault) are,” the former Formula One driver said.
“Are they going to be challenging the top three? Unlikely. They finished fifth in the championship last year, so for them to penetrate further, even by their own admission, they’re not looking at doing that this year.
“So podiums for Dan — that’s what he would like to achieve this year.”
Ricciardo has said he wanted his tenure at Renault to work but would not “block the call” from Mercedes or Ferrari.
Webber was unsure about movement elsewhere. Charles Leclerc is signed at Ferrari until the end of 2024, Max Verstappen is committed to Red Bull until the end of 2023, and six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is expected to commit to staying at Mercedes.
There could be vacancies in the second driver slots.
“A lot of the top teams are pretty stable apart from maybe Valtteri (Bottas) at Mercedes, but it has been a very welloiled machine on that side,” Webber said.
“The main drivers, the No.1s — Daniel is in that frame — Leclerc, Max and Lewis are sorted.
“Daniel wants to get Renault in a position where they can win at the front and be the main man at that team. That’s got to be his focus — making Renault work.”
Ricciardo has a new teammate with Frenchman Esteban Ocon replacing German Nico Hulkenberg.
Webber said a hungry young driver would bring the best out of Ricciardo.
“Daniel is very good, he enjoys pressure from a teammate and it makes him perform better,” he said. “Daniel has had tough situations in his career, he has been around Max, he has been with Sebastian (Vettel), he’s had some very good teammates.”
Webber said there was still time for the 30-year-old to make an impact.
“It’s a long career, so he can bounce back. It’s been done before,” he said. “It’s not like he was flush with options at that time. He went and saw something he believed was correct and is still trying to make that work.”