How has Daniel Ricciardo got on 12 months after signing with Renault?
Column
To say that Daniel Ricciardo's move to Renault was a mistake would be an understatement. The team have gone from leading the midfield last season to dropping down to 6th in the constructor's championship. It is 12 months since the Aussie signed for Renault and he would have been hoping for things to be very different...
Everybody knew that the move to Renault wouldn't be one which saw immediate success. Pundits and fans were split on whether the move was a good idea or not but many, perhaps optimistically, believed that in the next few years Renault would be challenging the top teams for a World Title.
However, nobody would have predicted Renault to dramatically fall down the standings. McLaren have taken over as leaders on the midfield and to add salt to the wound Renault supply them with their power units! Toro Rosso have now also overtaken the French team and Alfa Romeo are only 7 points behind them.
Ricciardo must be kicking himself. Especially as Red Bull is one of only two teams to win a race this year.
Things aren't all bad though. It had been thought that the move to Renault would tarnish Riccirado's reputation as a top driver and that Nico Hulkenberg would be able to outperform him. This has not been the case. He is still one of the top drivers on the grid and it is so wrong that he is not fighting for podium finishes.
The team boss at Renaut is Cyril Abiteboul and it is under him that this slip in performance has happened. If the team is serious about becoming a top team then I think their leadership needs looking into. Abiteboul does not have the same charisma as other team leaders and I'm sure this criticism is unfair but how much longer does he have to prove he is not the problem?
We have seen again this week how hard working for Red Bull can be and it is clear to see that leaving them was the right decision for Ricciardo. It's just depressing that he has moved to a team that is not able to give him a car he deserves.