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'Ricciardo has proved he is on same level as Vettel'

Published on 24 Apr 2015 14:28
2
By: Rob Veenstra

Red Bull is happy with its current driver lineup, Dr Helmut Marko insists. The struggling team lost its quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari over the winter. "It was a relationship that was built up over years but that does not mean we are left with nothing," team official Dr Helmut Marko said in Vienna this week. "Daniel (Ricciardo) has proved that he is on the same level," he insisted.

Indeed, Red Bull won three races last year, with Australian Ricciardo standing on the top step of the podium on every occasion. Marko, however, said that does not mean Red Bull is happier without Vettel. "Of course, Sebastian was strong but Daniel showed last year that he is not inferior in terms of speed," the Austrian is quoted by Germany's Auto Bild.

Red Bull replaced Vettel with the Russian youngster Daniil Kvyat, but the 20-year-old has failed to shine so far amid the team's troubled start to 2015. "Sebastian had a lot more experience," Ricciardo said this week, "but Daniil has learned quickly to understand the technical aspects. I think he just needs a decent weekend to begin to show his full potential," he added, "but we are working well together to help the team."

It is on other fronts that Red Bull is working hard on for the future. One rumour is that Red Bull might help team boss Christian Horner to bring his GP2 outfit Arden into F1 so that it can be a 'B' team, along the lines of Ferrari's new alliance with the 2016 entrant Haas.

Another is that Red Bull might promote Toro Rosso technical director James Key to the senior team. And Red Bull is also having to pin its hopes on engine supplier Renault, despite the fact they recently appeared on the verge of divorce. "We need to work together to get out of this crisis," Marko acknowledged. It may, however, be too late to rescue the 2015 campaign. "We know that the season has gone," Marko admitted. "Now we just need to make the best of it."

Grid penalties for exceeding the four-engine-per-driver rule are definitely looming on the horizon, he revealed. "Fifth engine, sixth engine, it's pretty irrelevant now," said Marko. "We know that at some point we will take a penalty, we can only hope that it doesn't happen in the worst possible place, like Monaco for example. We had problems with our chassis at the beginning," he added, "but what is holding us back now is the lack of engine reliability and performance. But we are trying to help Renault as much as possible," Marko said. (GMM)

mclarenfan1968

Posts: 1,027

You don't remember the countless races he has overtaken many on track? How about an easy one to recall, Brazil 2012 heavily damaged car and made others look stupid in the wet. Haha fanboys have way less memory or it maybe a case of denial...

Ricciardo is another over hyped driver who had a car t... [Read more]

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Apr 26 2015 - 12:08

F1 News Daniil Kvyat Sebastian Vettel Renault Ferrari

Replies (2)

Ironbuket

Posts: 7
In my book Vettel has still to prove himself. He's only ever good when he is in a top car. Unfortunately it makes Webber look like a very poor driver and the main reason he won consistently. Anyone else put up against Vettel in the last few years (same car) either matches or beats him. Even when Seb was at his height at RBR if he didn't start on poll he would struggle on race day and do the majority of his overtakes in the pits. Look at how everyone is saying how much better Kimi is this year, really? O_o
- + -1
- Apr 26 2015 - 04:36
- mclarenfan1968
  
  Posts: 1,027
  You don't remember the countless races he has overtaken many on track? How about an easy one to recall, Brazil 2012 heavily damaged car and made others look stupid in the wet. Haha fanboys have way less memory or it maybe a case of denial...
  
  Ricciardo is another over hyped driver who had a car that suited him more than it did Vettel in 2014. Not to mention two wins that should have been Vettel's in 2014 if it wasnt for the misfortune in SCD timing?strategy when Vettel was out on track well ahead while Ricciardo profited basically doing nothing. Vettel has a had good run of well suited cars during this success years. He is also the guy who won in midfield Torro Rosso in 2008 Monza, the reason why he was able to pull it off? Rain! Not even the current reigning champion has achieved this feat, all hamilton's career he has been in top flight teams in top flight cars to deliver wins.
  
  Kvyat was hailed as a big talent now he is nothing at RBR, is that because he is no good? Nope he just doesn't have it his way yet. Chances are once he gets everything together he will wipe the smile off the Aussie. Ricciardo was nothing spectacular compared to his teammate Vergne when he was at Toro Rosso.
  
  Yet another classic of short/selective memories by the British gutter press and those who subscribe to such nonsense.
  + 1
  
  Apr 26 2015 - 12:08