Current Daniel Ricciardo

I noticed young Daniel didn't have his own thread so thought I'd give him on as sure he'll be around for a good few years.

Born in 1989 (that makes him 22 before you do the maths) this aussie started karting at the age of 9 and in 2005 entered the Western Australian Formula Ford Championship as a privateer driving a car that was 15 years old at the time and managed to finish 8th. He won a scholarship to compete in Formula BMW Asia the following year. As we all know he eventually became involved in the Red Bull young driver programme after winning the British Formula 3 championship in 2009.

Became Red Bull's test driver and has now stepped up to drive for HRT. Has been really hyped as the next big thing by the Red Bull team and the press. Eddie Jordan described him as a future world champion before he'd even done his first Grand Prix. The truth is though he has not set the world alight at HRT. How can one set the world alight at HRT I hear you ask to which I say - good point! Although he has beaten Liuzzi twice already in the races I believe he needs to get on top of him in quali too. Also he's being beaten by quite a way in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series by both Robert Wickens and Jean-Eric Vergne.

So Ricciardo - future number 1 or going going gone?

 

[FB]

Looks like the sort of crap interview they used to have in Look In.

 

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

Welcome to the big dance son ...

 

[RasputinLives]

.....your place is over there in the shadows with Massa and Grosjean.

 

[Jen]

If that's the case they should both do better at Monaco

 

[Quintessentially]

He can't do any worse than Webber over the past 2years and certainly not getting shit starts will be a good place to start.

 

[RasputinLives]

Ricciardo is hardly a lightning starter either. Infact he's a bit of a carbon copy of Webber which is prob why they picked him.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives

Apparently Benson agrees with you that Daniel is a bit of a useless racer compared and ends up where JEV is and he seems to be picked on his 1 lap speed ability allegedly
although the conspiracy theories suggests he can challenge Vettel as long as he does not beat him or take his nose off

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23960315

Yes Daniel should show a bit of gratitude and know his place then despite both Horner and Newey suggesting he will be allowed to race

 

[Mephistopheles]

Next years RedBull press release, "We are working hard to find a solution to Daniels clutch and ERS problems."

 

[Fenderman]

"What, me worry?" - Dan

 

[teabagyokel]

Very, very impressive today. Very impressive...

 

[RasputinLives]

I'll be impressed when he brimgs the car home for a result. He can't get away with going backwards like he did at Torro Rosso.

 

[jez101]

Credit where it is due RasputinLives , it is just one session but bloody hell, what a session it was for the lad. No pressure... home country, 4 time WDC team mate, wet, car issues, lack of testing. What does he do? He thrives. And he just keeps on smiling

I'm with teabagyokel on this one buddy!

 

[Brogan]

So is Ricciardo really that good (after showing us what he couldn't do for the previous three seasons), or is it all about the car?

Probably a discussion for another thread.

 

[Fenderman]

Alan McNish's analysis on the Beeb highlight show was interesting. Dan drove a very smooth "Button-like" lap on the inters whereas Seb seemed to be fighting his car. Meanwhile Lewis was throwing his around all over the place with lots of correction and reaction. I suspect though that come the race dan will "go backwards" if it's dry but might just hold onto a podium in the wet.

 

[Lewywo4]

I suspect though that come the race dan will "go backwards" if it's dry but night just hold onto a podium in the wet.

Fenderman.......If it's dry Ricciardo just might go backwards in this race, but in the future IMO he will give Vettel a much harder go at it, rather than that other Australian who now drives for Porsche.

 

[Fenderman]

With the complexities thrown up by the new reg's it's hard to predict almost anything this season. Red Bull were a tad off the pace in the practice sessions in the dry but as ever rain levelled the playing field a bit in qualy'. I'm content to observe him on a race by race basis for now and let the RBR and Dan do their talking.

 

[Jen]

An early welcome to the politics of F1 and the politics of RBR.

Did Dan really think he was there to drive his socks off in a top class, legal car?

 

[Mephistopheles]

does Ricci have more teeth than five horses put together? I don't know whether to praise him or give him a lump of sugar...

 

[RasputinLives]

Jen you seem to have a serious issue with Red Bull and cheating yet I can pretty much level the same thing at all the top teams. I mean Mclaren and Ferrari practically wrote the book on it.

 

[The Pits]

Ferrari wrote the book, McLaren somehow got hold of a copy.....