Renault Boss Cyril Abiteboul Wants to “Negotiate” With Ricciardo Over His Tattoo Bet

Renault had possibly forgotten what a podium finish looked like for the past few seasons. But it turned into a day of joy when Daniel Ricciardo secured P3 at the Eifel Grand Prix.

There was a sense of elation when the Australian crossed the checkered flag as they had been craving a trophy for so long. Ricciardo himself would be delighted at the prospect of the podium, not having won a podium finish since he left Red Bull.

Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul was also overjoyed considering the time he has spent at Renault. But now, the consequence of winning a podium means that he has to get a tattoo done!

Cyril Abiteboul has not yet thought about the tattoo design

Whether he saw it coming anytime soon or not, it no longer holds any relevance. Abiteboul, however, has now revealed a few details about the tattoo and how he would go about it.

Speaking in the post-race live show, Abiteboul was quoted as saying, “No it was a long time ago (the bet with Ricciardo) and I would have to negotiate about that. I think he gets to choose the design, I get to choose the size which is what matters in this case!

“I don’t know, we’ll talk about that (the placement of tattoo). We will negotiate about that. But it has been remarkable today.”

After suffering a bad 2019 season that revolved around mechanical failures and accidents, Daniel Ricciardo was keen to get on the podium. And the bet, obviously, would have given him a lot more motivation to do that.

Ricciardo drove a great race and deserved a place on the podium

Renault have been one of the few midfield teams to have shown a stark improvement in their performances. A strong show in Spa, Mugello, and recently Sochi meant that the synergy between the driver and the car was finally coming together.

And so, Nurburgring represents a culmination of that progress. Albeit a few retirements from Bottas and Norris helped his cause, Ricciardo truly deserved the podium finish.

Ricciardo will, of course, be moving to McLaren for the 2021 season. But, before he departs, he would definitely want to cap his season off with a few more podium finishes with Renault. And if it would mean Abiteboul getting a few more tattoos, Ricciardo’s desire to win would only go up a notch!