Daniel Ricciardo is targeting a podium finish in his second season with Renault, which he says he expected would be possible when he signed his two-year deal with the team.

He scored a best finish of fourth place in his first full season with the team last year and expects more from 2020.

“I really still believe there’s a podium there with with Renault,” said Ricciardo. “When I signed this initial two-year contract, I saw a podium in that signing, if you know what I mean.

“So that’s really, as far as a position goes, that would be a personal objective for me, something I think is attainable. And as a team, for sure, [to] improve and take the fight to obviously the front guys is our target – but take the fight back from that midfield and take that fourth place.”

The team has invested in its resources since Renault returned to F1 as a full manufacturer four years ago, and Ricciardo believes they are now almost on a par with the top teams.

“When I got to Renault I looked at the facilities and the facilities are great,” he said. “It’s not like we’re lacking much at all in terms of that compared to the big teams.

“So that’s where teamwork comes in. It’s about using each member of the team in the most efficient way, it’s not about having the smartest guy in all of F1 in your team, it’s not about one individual, it’s about everyone coming together.

“I saw last year as the year went on, belief grew in the team, I think. But that also needs to be reinstated. As a person you forget things over time, naturally, it’s like a human instinct. So as far as like a team spirit and team morale, you know, you have to keep reiterating and reinserting this into into the team and the atmosphere. So it’s something I’m working on as well.”

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2020 F1 season