Ricciardo “fulfilled” after completing Renault journey

Daniel Ricciardo claimed he felt “fulfilled” by the achievements he has made in his two-year journey with Renault after it came to an end in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Ricciardo, who will move to McLaren next year, joined Renault after five seasons with Red Bull in the hope of building the team around him and fighting for world titles.

That dream never materialised, with the team failing to match the fourth-place finish it achieved before Ricciardo’s arrival. The Australian, though, still feels it has made progress in the two years he has been there.

“I feel fulfilled to be honest,” said Ricciardo. “I’m really pleased how far we’ve come, both myself and the team. This year, although shortened, it was such a chaotic year, but a really strong one.“

Ricciardo and team-mate Esteban Ocon scored 181 points for the team this season, almost double the 91 they achieved in 2019 when there were also four more races than the 17 this year.

It was also the most points it has scored since 2006 when Fernando Alonso, who will replace Ricciardo next year, won the title.

Ricciardo himself achieved fifth in the drivers’ championship, his best position in four years, and two third-placed podium finishes helped him more than double his points tally from last year, with 119 compared to 54.

He believes the figures show just how far the team has come. He added: “I think fifth in the drivers’ championship, there’s no reward for that, but it speaks for itself in the turnaround we made this year.“

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