Ricciardo: Renault needs to "keep positivity" after morale swings
Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo admits that heads had dropped at the Enstone team in recent weeks, and hopes the Japanese Grand Prix result can kickstart a run of “positivity.”
Though Ricciardo and teammate Nico Hulkenberg have regularly qualified well in the events after the summer break, they experienced a mixed stretch of races, often spoiled by first-lap incidents. The team had earned just a ninth and a 10th place from Singapore and Russia.
In Japan Ricciardo was left stranded in 16th on the grid after suffering in qualifying with a rear suspension issue, which necessitated the replacement of a hydraulic line for the race. He subsequently put in a strong drive to an eventual sixth place.
“Certainly [after qualifying] I was thinking, ‘Same kind of crap,'. And that we can’t really get a break with issues and whatever. But I feel like we finally got a result we deserve," Ricciardo said.
“We’ve got back-to-backs coming up now, some fun ones. So hopefully we can get a string of points finishes and try to just get something for the team.
“We get [up] there, and then we drop, kind of the heads drop a bit, and we’re trying to get back up. So just for everyone’s sake we need to try to keep some positivity before the year is out.”
Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team R.S.19
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
With around 10 laps to go in Japan, Ricciardo caught up to Hulkenberg, who was running on a different strategy.
At that point he asked the team for the German to let him by – something Ricciardo says he is usually reluctant to do.
“I saw that we were all in a DRS train. I think he’d been in [Lance] Stroll’s DRS for quite a few laps, so I came on the radio. I don’t normally like to call for things, but I just said, ‘Guys if he can’t pass, release me.’ I said I’m sure I can get them.
“I think after two laps they released me, and then I reassured them, ‘Guys I’m going to get them, trust me we’ve made the right decision.’ And obviously we did. I thanked them after, and I think clearly in the end it was the right call.
“I don’t always ask, because I think a lot of the time people ask looking for a favour. But I really believed I obviously had the pace and the tyre to do it, so that’s why I had a lot of confidence that once being released I could get the guys in front.”
Previous article
Why Ferrari is spurning the "easiest" Vettel/Leclerc solution
Next article
Hamilton: 2019 "not great" for Mercedes engine development
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Event | Japanese GP |
| Sub-event | Race |
| Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
| Teams | Renault F1 Team |
| Author | Adam Cooper |
Sebastian Vettel explains why Aston Martin
Aston Martin AMR21 Unveiling
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
