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Renault's Daniel Ricciardo has said that he is very impatient and hungry for more grand prix success in Formula 1, having won his last race almost two years ago.
Since replacing compatriot Mark Webber at Red Bull in 2014, the Australian racked up seven victories, the last coming on the streets of Monaco in 2018 before departing for Renault at the end of the year.
Having been with Renault for a full season with no victories or podiums, Ricciardo described himself as impatient and adamant that he is ready for another victory in F1.
“I’m not the most patient person, because I believe in myself,” Ricciardo told Autocar.
“Age does bring patience; this is a sport of 20 drivers who can’t all be winning. But I’ve proved I can win races, and I don’t want Ricciardo endured a difficult first year with Renault to deny myself that feeling for much longer. It’s two years now since I won in Monaco, and I’m craving that feeling again.
“All this time we have now is in some ways great – our bodies just don’t get the chance to be in one place, the same time zone, controlled diet and so on for any sustained amount of time normally – so there’s something to be said for it.
"But when the season gets going, I think it’s going to be very high-paced, with the following season following on pretty quickly afterwards.
“A good training session can work off some of the frustration, but it can’t get me back where I want to be: in the seat of a racing car. Until I’ve achieved my goals, that’s all I want to be doing.”
'Raw speed is something drivers cannot learn'
Ricciardo also opened up on the talents of a Formula 1 driver, believing it is something drivers have from day one and something that cannot be acquired.
He spoke about how drivers must have the talent and speed from the beginning and how he feels that it is a factor of racing that does not come with experience.
“There’s an element of raw speed that you either have or you don’t,” Ricciardo added.
“That feeling, the sensitivity through your fingertips and bum, is either there from day one or it’s not. That’s maybe 90% of the make-up of a successful racing driver. I sometimes watch on-boards of myself from 10 years ago, and I rarely think I could do it faster today.
“You have to learn how to adapt, how to drive fast across a broader spectrum of variables. A really successful driver has to learn to change their style to suit the conditions. I’m not sure that the learning process should ever end for anyone who wants to be top of their game.”
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Ricciardo's definitely got some raw speed. Not quite on par to the likes of Max, but what he lacks in pure pace he makes up for with consistency. He'd been well off staying at RBH, and RBH, too, would've benefitted massively from his presence, but bad luck and RB's lack of ability to retain his confidence And them painting Max as the clear no 1 driver really messed up those chances.