Abiteboul Credits Daniel Ricciardo for Renault’s Turnaround After ‘a Disappointing Season’

Daniel Ricciardo is preparing for his new season at McLaren. After his extraordinary season with Renault in 2020, the Australian tests his luck with the Woking-based outfit. However, his former boss claims that he will get a good fight from his former team.

For the 2021 edition of F1, Renault will rebrand itself as Alpine. The French constructors have struggled hard this entire decade. Now, as they step into a new era of motorsports, they are well prepared. In addition, we can credit a major part of their form to Aussie that leaves them to join Zak Brown.

Daniel Ricciardo arrived at Renault beside Nico Hulkenberg in 2019. The team he joined and the team when he’s leaving are two distinct entities. Last season, Renault displayed sheer determination and Daniel can proudly claim a part of their success even as he leaves.

Nonetheless, he is a victim of his own success. Cyril Abiteboul, chief at Alpine this year, claims that the Aussie shall not go unchallenged in his new McLaren cockpit. His former team, too, is preparing well to take on the season, and the boy from Perth will have to look out for them.

“He has delivered positively and the irony in all of this is that I believe we are a much stronger team now and he will have to race a much stronger team next year.

“[But] we’re also glad to see him in a great team and we look forward to an exciting battle against McLaren and Daniel next year,” remarked Cyril.

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Daniel Ricciardo was the life of Renault

Ricciardo has always been a leader in the team, and he is a master at his job. He did that at Red Bull and he did it again at Renault. The 31-year-old has an excellent understanding of the grid and he can contribute to crucial strategies. Well, he moves to McLaren with the same plan, to understand and implement.

Other than the healthy competition, Daniel’s former boss is all praises about him. Abiteboul realizes that the Aussie used to bind the team together, and the position that Renault rests on at present is because of him. The team chemistry, the better communication, and last, the three podiums – Cyril couldn’t thank him enough.

“It’s very much a credit to Daniel who’s been clearly leading the charge of the team and behind him a group of people and a group of mechanics and engineers who are doing a remarkable job on track. Off-track, obviously we know Daniel is a great ambassador, is a team leader.

“He has clearly been instrumental to the changes that we’ve done last year when we had altogether a disappointing season,” concluded Abiteboul.

Although friendly rivalry sounds like an oxymoron, it would be an interesting element of the 2021 season.

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