Daniel Ricciardo’s future boss already writing poor performance report
It’s possibly not the best start to your new job when your soon-to-be boss suggests you’re probably not going to do overly well.
That’s what happened to Aussie F1 grin enthusiast, Daniel Ricciardo, this week, when Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul told media that the newly ex-Red Bull racer won’t be winning in a yellow car any time soon.
Ricciardo caused a bit of a sensation last week when he announced he was leaving Red Bull for a yellower hue, in the form of perennial midfielders Renault.
The announcement came as a bit of a shock, as it appears almost everyone expected him to replace the probably retiring Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari.
Ricciardo says, however, he’s excited to be heading to Renault. He’s probably also excited by all those millions of euros in his bank account, which would have been required to complete this particular French connection.
But putting something of a dampener on celebrations, in an interview with German media outlet Auto Motor und Sport, team boss Abiteboul said, “With Ricciardo, the big objective is to fight for the title in 2021 but we hope that he can start winning races in 2020. Daniel’s talent and charisma are a big bonus for us. We have to repay that trust by providing him with the best possible car.” Er . . . although just not right away, it would seem.
It’s all part of a longer strategy, says Abiteboul. Renault has been in a holding pattern for some time, bedding in new technologies, new engines and, now, a new driver. As an engine supplier too, Renault has a lot of skin on the circuit, which must give Ricciardo peace of mind.