Apr 30th, 2019

Apr 30th, 2019

Australian Formula One great Mark Webber says Daniel Ricciardo needs to be cautious his ongoing struggles with Renault don’t do long-term damage to his career.

It’s been a horror start to the season for both Ricciardo and Renault teammate Nico Hulkenberg, with each driver managing a best finish of seventh place from the first four races. Ricciardo’s year hit a new low during Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when he was forced to retire after reversing into Daniil Kvyat after a failed overtake.

Renault paid big money to entice Ricciardo away from Red Bull, where he had won seven races, to join a team that had not recorded a single podium in three seasons.

That doesn’t look like changing any time soon, with the car struggling against even the midfield teams, and a long way from challenging the likes of Red Bull, let alone the front-running Mercedes and Ferrari.

It leaves Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul under pressure, after he was quoted prior to the season as saying he hoped the team had significantly closed the gap to the front runners.

In an exclusive interview with Wide World of Sports, Webber says that while there’s no doubt about Ricciardo’s talent, at this stage of his career he can’t afford two years in oblivion, with drivers lining up for spots in the top teams.

Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat come together during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. (AAP)

“It happens every race, it’s such a competitive business with so many young guys coming in,” Webber told Wide World of Sports.

“Daniel hasn’t forgotten how to drive, but the form guide changes very quickly in this sport. A driver’s momentum and his career can be challenged.

“He’s valued, but clearly he’s not in a good position at the moment. That’s obvious. You need results, you need to be drinking the champagne on the podium. That’s what concerned me with this move, so let’s hope the team can lift for him and start getting results.

“Every few months, if the performances aren’t there, other managers and agents and young drivers are trying to muscle in, the sport moves on so fast. Daniel benefited from it in the past, he was one of the guys that had it on the way up. Now Renault have to deliver for him.”

Reflecting on Ricciardo’s nightmare start to the season, which has seen him retire from three of the four races so far, Webber says there’s plenty of work to be done to bridge the gap.

The 42-year-old, who won nine races during his F1 career, points out that Renault are even behind McLaren, who use customer Renault engines.

“Daniel’s season hasn’t really started, has it? It’s been very challenging for Renault, and it’s starting to sink in now, in terms of the amount of work in front of them,” he said.

Mark Webber won nine races during his F1 career. (AAP)

“As predicted, they’re a long way off, they’ve got a big job to do. They’re a team under tremendous pressure already, because their performance doesn’t back up the chat. Renault were saying in the off-season they can challenge the top three, but they’re a long way from that.

“It’s been challenging, they’ve got some reliability issues as well, McLaren are belting them with the same engine, which is not good. McLaren are a long way down the road at the moment.”

Webber says he “doesn’t buy” the theory that it’s difficult for a driver to adapt his style after switching from a leading team to a midfield car, pointing out that while there’s a decrease in downforce, power and confidence in the car, that’s a change that can occur year-to-year even if a driver doesn’t change teams.

But the Aussie, who retired from F1 at the end of the 2013 season, admits the move from the front of the grid to the midfield would be tough.

“Thankfully I did it the other way around!” he said.

“I was in average teams for a long time and I never, ever wanted to feel that again, even though I had offers to continue in Formula One when I left Red Bull.

“I didn’t want to know what that felt like again. I had that through the early part of my career through sub-par machinery.”