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Ricciardo calls for Abu Dhabi track change after "grim" race

Ricciardo calls for Abu Dhabi track change after "grim" race

Ricciardo calls for Abu Dhabi track change after "grim" race

Ricciardo calls for Abu Dhabi track change after "grim" race

Daniel Ricciardo has called on Formula 1 to “play around with the layout” of the Abu Dhabi circuit after a season-ending finale he described as "a bit grim'.

Renault driver Ricciardo drove a lonely race to finish seventh in a race that lacked action, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominating and the top three taking the chequered flag in the order they started.

“We know Abu Dhabi as a Sunday venue, it’s not always the most exciting race,” said Ricciardo. “It’s a shame because it is such a great venue, I certainly don’t want to talk the place down because I want to keep coming back here.

“Maybe we could play around with the layout because unfortunately on Sunday it is tricky. It’s sometimes a bit grim from an entertainment point of view.”

Despite the lack of entertainment, Ricciardo claimed his final race as a Renault driver before joining McLaren was still “fairly fun”.

The Australian added: “Knowing my pace was strong and I was creating a gap, that kept me excited.

“It was kind of like just a long time trial that was enduring. Personally, it was a fairly fun race for me, although not a whole lot of action with other guys.

“I think it was the maximum we could have done. Maybe without the safety car I could have put a bit more pressure on the McLarens [but] they were still pretty fast and a long way up. I was just seeing the laps tick over.”

Ricciardo did put in a late-race effort to give his team a parting present by setting the fastest lap, but he conceded he almost made a mistake on the penultimate lap by pushing too hard.

“I think I had the fastest lap on the second last lap, but I actually went off at the last corner,” he explained.

"So I really stretched it on my last lap, but it was a nice way to do my last ever lap in the Renault. It was good to know it was a fast one, so a good sign off.”

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