Formula One: Mark Webber rates Daniel Ricciardo and Renault’s prospects in 2020
Mark Webber doesn’t expect Renault to make major inroads on Formula One’s top three this year, but says Daniel Ricciardo needs to focus on “making Renault work”.
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Mark Webber predicts Renault is unlikely to make any significant strides to challenge the top three in Daniel Ricciardo’s second season with the team.
But Webber said Ricciardo needed to focus on “making Renault work”, questioning how much movement there would be for a seat elsewhere – especially as a lead driver – if he wanted out at the end of the year.
Ricciardo is out of contract at the end of 2020 after signing a two-year deal with the French manufacturer after his defection from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2018.
The Perth racer finished ninth in the driver standings in his first year with Renault last season – his worst result in the championship since his final year at Toro Rosso in 2013.
A seven-time Grand Prix winner at Red Bull, Ricciardo’s best result last year was fourth at the Italian Grand Prix.
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Webber, who had questioned Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull, said it was unlikely Renault would make any major inroads into its gap on the top three.
“It’s a long campaign ahead and I think that it’s very hard to judge where they are,” Webber said.
“Are they going to be challenging the top three? (It’s) unlikely.
“I think they finished fifth in the championship last year so for them to penetrate further into there, I think even by their own admission, they’re not looking at doing that this year.
“So podiums I think for Dan that’s what he would like to achieve this year.”
While Ricciardo has stated he wanted his tenure at Renault to work, he said he would not “block the call” if Mercedes or Ferrari picked up the phone.
But Webber was unsure exactly how much movement there would be elsewhere.
Charles Leclerc is signed up 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. But there could be potential vacancies in the second driver slots.
“A lot of the top teams are pretty stable apart from maybe Valtteri (Bottas) at Mercedes, but it works, it has been a very well-oiled machine on that side,” Webber said.
“I think the main drivers, the numbers ones, which Daniel is in that frame, (Charles) Leclerc and Max (Verstappen) and Lewis (Hamilton) are sorted.
“So obviously Daniel wants to get Renault in a position where they can win at the front and he be the main man at that team. That’s got to be his focus is making Renault work.”
Ricciardo has a new teammate alongside him at Renault this season with Frenchman Esteban Ocon replacing German Nico Hulkenberg.
Webber expected a hungry young teammate to bring out Ricciardo’s best.
“Daniel is very good, he enjoys the 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 plenty of time for 30-year-old Ricciardo to make an impact in his career.
“It’s a long career, so he can bounce back. It’s been done before,” Webber said.
“So I think that it’s not like he was flushed with options at that time, he went and saw something that he believed was correct and he is still trying to make that work.
“These are the decisions that you have got to do, he is gone with that decision, he has been very engaging for Renault, they have enjoyed working with him and he has got to make it work.”
Originally published as Formula One: Mark Webber rates Daniel Ricciardo and Renault’s prospects in 2020
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