Spanish Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo’s hilarious bet with his boss
Daniel Ricciardo is looking to leave his mark on Renault before he defects to Mclaren - literally. The Aussie has revealed details of a hilarious bet with his current boss.
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Daniel Ricciardo might have less than six months left at Renault before his move to McLaren next year, but he hopes to leave a lasting impression on the team boss if things go his way.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Ricciardo spilled the beans on a bet he struck with Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul if he was able to finish on the podium this year.
Interesting 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 13, 2020
If @danielricciardo finishes on the podium in 2020, Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul will have to get his first tattoo 😂#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/afQFT9cn96
If Ricciardo is successful in claiming his first podium with the French manufacturer, Abiteboul will get a tattoo - with design input from the Australian star.
“This has really broken out now,” Ricciardo laughed when asked about the bet.
“That’s the bet. It’s a bit foggy, but I do believe he choses placement and size (of the tattoo), but I choose the design.
“But we’ll clear that up. But it’s a tattoo and he does not have any, so it’s a big deal for Cyril.”
Pressed further about what sort of design he might have in store for Abiteboul, Ricciardo said he hadn’t yet decided, but promised it would be “funny”.
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“I don’t know, I think it will be something probably a little bit spontaneous, spur of the moment,” Ricciardo said.
“But it’s got to be something funny that when he looks at it, he shakes his head and it’s like, ‘Remember those times?’ One of those ones.”
In his second season at Renault, Ricciardo’s best result for the team so far has been two fourth-place finishes - at last year’s Italian Grand Prix and at Silverstone two weeks ago.
And the 31-year-old knew what he would be doing to celebrate if he was able to score a podium this year.
“I do want to stand back up there and be delivered a trophy on a robot or whatever they’re doing now. I miss that,” Ricciardo said.
“And I’ll probably get a fine for drinking out of my show, but it will be worth it.”
PEREZ IS BACK
Ahead of this weekend’s race in Spain, Sergio perez has tested negative for coronavirus and will return to the grid.
The Mexican has defended his decision to fly home after last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix, a trip that preceded him testing positive for COVID-19 on his return.
The Racing Point driver missed both the British and 70th Anniversary Grands Prix, his seat being taken by late stand-in Nico Hulkenberg.
“I put everything out on a video,” he said. “Where I went, any place I visited and anything I did after Hungary. Everything was done with extreme precautions, within very extreme lines.
“I was well aware what was going on. I think I was just unlucky. I haven’t done anything different to the rest of the paddock.
“So I was just the unlucky one to get it. That’s one thing, but I’m not willing to take any blame for that because anyone can get it. I was just the unlucky one.” Perez tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday and was permitted to re-enter the Formula One paddock and return to his for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
He said he had flown home to visit his mother in hospital after she was hurt in an accident.
He stayed only two days in Mexico, one of the Latin American hot spots for the coronavirus.
Perez has recovered from COVID-19 without suffering any symptoms and said he has no plans to change his lifestyle habits.
“To be honest, before that, we were already so conservative and took so many precautions that nothing really changes -- whether you are positive or negative.
“The procedures are very, very similar, so the amount of precautions that we take have been already in place, there’s nothing really more or to do differently than what I’ve done and what we’re doing
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