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Test Helmet of Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team
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Analysis

Is Ricciardo's Renault gamble a career breaker?

One of the biggest off-season driver moves was also one of the bravest. Edd Straw weighs up Daniel Ricciardo's chances of success with Renault

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Fortune favours the brave, but destroys the foolhardy. The question is, which is Daniel Ricciardo? Defecting from race-winning Red Bull when it is on the cusp of starting a works relationship with Honda to join a re-emerging Renault team that still has a long way to go could prove to be either. Ricciardo may never win another grand prix as a result, but he could also establish himself as the focal point of a frontrunning works team. That's quite the coin toss.

Much of this is out of Ricciardo's hands, because we already know he can win races in the right team. Renault has invested heavily and its largely all-new car should allow it to slash the gap to the top three, but it's unlikely to clear the chasm in a single bound. Realistically, 2021 and F1's mooted major regulations overhaul is Renault's target and '19 is just a waypoint on that journey.

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