RICCIARDO SWITCHES TO RENAULT F1

WHERE: ENSTONE WHEN: AUGUST 3 There aren’t many driver swaps in F1 that really catch onlookers unawares, but Daniel Ricciardo’s decision to jump from Red Bull to Renault came from left of centre.

The Red Bull is a winning car, and the Renault hasn’t been since the manufacturer returned in 2016. The car has been arguably the fastest among the ‘Class B’ division, but needs a big step forward.

Ricciardo acknowledged as much when he inked his deal: “There is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually win. I hope to help them in this journey and contribute.”

The fact that Kimi Raikkonen’s time was up at Ferrari wasn’t such a shock. He had been under a cloud in the last few seasons and the Scuderia called time on his tenure as Sebastian Vettel’s team-mate later on in the year – after which, he managed to win the US GP. Raikkonen will perform a swap with Monegasque Charles Leclerc going in the opposite direction from Sauber to Ferrari.