Renault Boss Takes a Veiled Dig at Ferrari and Mclaren Over Losing Daniel Ricciardo

The 2021 F1 season is a fair way away but that hasn’t dampened people’s excitement about the partnership (and perhaps a new bromance on the grid) between Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris at McLaren for 2021. However, some people like Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul are not.

Abiteboul lashes out at McLaren and Ferrari

Daniel Ricciardo made a rather sudden decision to switch from Renault to McLaren for the 2021 season. this decision hasn’t left Renault’s team principal, Cyril Abiteboul best pleased. It has been eleven days since the Australian was confirmed to have signed for McLaren. He replaced the Spaniard, Carlos Sainz Jr. who himself moved to Ferrari after a breakthrough season at McLaren last year.

Cyril Abiteboul holds the belief that Daniel Ricciardo only made a move so quickly because he was pressurized. The opportunity of getting a drive at Ferrari or Mclaren was too hard to pass up. Speaking to Motorsport.com, the Renault team principal, Cyril Abiteboul said “I’m a bit surprised about the activism of two particular F1 teams, who have pushed Daniel to sort of rush the decision. We decided not to bend over this timing and to stick to our plan.”

“If we had had a better car last year, probably you wouldn’t be asking me this question. We know that if we have a better car we’ll be able to attract any driver in the future. That’s been our priority.”

“Future of F1 is the priority”- Renault

The FIA has approved the new budget cap ( $30 million lower than initially planned with a further reduction of $5 million every year till 2023) beginning from the 2021 season onward. It will ensure healthy competition on the track for all F1 teams. It also provides a boost to the smaller teams who might be saved from going bust on account of the current global situation.

Cyril Abiteboul’s statements regarding this were “the new regulation, the new deal [rules], have been our priority. Securing the future of F1 has been our priority.”

Well, Cyril Abiteboul is certainly right about F1 being the priority Although his intended meaning was Renault’s survival. Heck what would us fans do without F1? We can’t watch virtual GP’s forever you know.