Hulkenberg sees "only positives" with Ricciardo switch
- Published on 06 Aug 2018 15:20
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- By: Fergal Walsh
Nico Hulkenberg says that there are only positives surrounding Daniel Ricciardo's switch to Renault. Ricciardo shocked the paddock when he announced last Friday that he would be leaving Red Bull to join the French on a two-year deal.
Ricciardo will be Hulkenberg's third teammate at Renault, with plenty of interest already building about the upcoming intra-team battle. Renault has said that its ability to bring in a big name like Ricciardo is a sign that they are making gains towards the front of the grid.
And Hulkenberg agrees: "I see this as absolutely positive. It shows how serious Renault are about attacking the Big Three: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
"Daniel is a great driver and a man who can do everything," he added to Bild. "I do not have to hide from the challenge that awaits me this season, but for me, having such a great teammate is only positive, but it also shows how serious Renault is, if you're one of the drivers to get the top three in."
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Replies (7)
Login to replymichielhimself
Posts: 132
Sure. Now he knows the kind of raise he can ask for if het gets a podium or a win ...
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
and I have been waiting from at least 6 years , for his podium. At this juncture, he is no more than a second rate driver, when likes of Perez, KMag, Grosjean, and even Stroll got on to podiums.
michielhimself
Posts: 132
Yeah, I'm a closet fan of Hulkenberg, helped in part by the fact he can speak native Dutch well enough for live tv interviews (very rare in a German) and to me his speed is beyond question but rather he lacks a certain "killer instinct" on track somehow. Fast driver but not competitive enough as a racer, is what I'm trying to say.
Hopefully Ricciardo can bring that out in him ... it's kind of a make or break year for both of them, next year ... it's a good thing that, right now at least, they seem to really like each other.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
Agree it's a good thing for the Hulk. It will be his season to prove himself against a top driver.
Freguz
Posts: 160
Ok what happens now to Sainz jr?
And how is the renault engine gonna catch up? Reliability?
I think it is a dead end for Ricciardo.
f1ski
Posts: 726
no dead end for ric 35 million per year
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
This will be one of the best pairings in F1.