Renault revival gives Daniel Ricciardo food for thought

You’d forgive Daniel Ricciardo for having second thoughts about quitting Renault as the French F1 outfit completely flips the script.

Daniel Ricciardo endured a nightmare season in 2019 when he first joined French F1 outfit Renault after quitting Red Bull.

The always smiling Aussie was left seeing red as engine failures and other mechanical issues continued to plague his races.

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Fans of the loveable larrikin wanted him to leave the team and sit in a car that would push him to the front of the grid and allow him to contend once again for race wins.

Those wishes came true when Ricciardo announced he would be joining McLaren in 2021 and partnering with Lando Norris.

But over the last month, the fortunes of Ricciardo’s Renault have done a complete 180 with the West Australian enjoying a superb run of form as his team’s fortunes have picked up.

In his past four races, Ricciardo’s worst finish came at the Italian Grand Prix when he crossed the line sixth.

He finished fourth at both the Belgian and Tuscan Grands Prix, to go with a fifth-placed finish at the Russian Grand Prix.

The recent turnaround has seen Renault close the gap on McLaren in the constructors’ standings, trailing by only seven points in the race for third.

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Ricciardo is back near the top of the grid.

Ricciardo has beaten out both McLaren drivers in Norris and Carlos Sainz in three out of the past four races, but says despite the Renault revival and how well the car is suddenly performing, he is happy with his decision to join McLaren.

“Obviously no disrespect to Renault, and where I currently am, but no I don’t regret it,” Ricciardo said to motorsport.com of his impending switch.

“Am I happy to see us progress? Absolutely.

“If it means that we’ve got Renault as a competitor next year to push McLaren further, then I think that’s good for everyone. So no, I’m not regretting it.

“But I’m also not unhappy with the progress. I want to be racing at the front, and obviously every race in F1 is so important. So, every chance I get to do it, you know, the sooner the better.

“I am glad we’re making progress and I feel a part of it, which is important as well for me, and I guess my growth as a driver.”

Ricciardo is pushing hard to achieve his best result in a Renaut uniform before the season is over, desperate for his first podium in yellow and black.

He has added incentive to cross the line in the top three with Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul engaging in a bet with the Aussie to get a tattoo if he secures a podium finish.

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Ricciardo is desperate to land a podium finish.

“It’s a bit foggy, but I believe he chooses placement and size, and I choose the design,” Ricciardo said. “We’ll clear that up. But it’s a tattoo and he does not have any, so it’s a big deal for Cyril.”

When pressed on what design he had in mind, Ricciardo wasn’t certain but figured it would come to him in the moment.

“I don’t know, I think it will be something probably a little spontaneous, spur of the moment,” he 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.”