No race wins for Ricciardo in 2019

'No race wins' for Ricciardo in 2019

Joas van Wingerden

Tuesday 14 August 2018 13:01

Renault do not expect to produce a race-winning car for Daniel Ricciardo in 2019, but Cyril Abiteboul has revealed that the French team have "sold" the Australian the dream of a title challenge if he keeps faith with the team until 2021.

Ricciardo cited the need for change when it was confirmed that he had stunned Red Bull by shunning a one-year contract extension to join Renault for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

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As Red Bull prepare to take Honda power units next season, it remains to be seen whether that change or Ricciardo's switch will prove to be the bigger gamble.

And Abiteboul was perhaps keen to temper expectations ahead of Ricciardo's arrival to join Nico Hulkenberg in a team that has enjoyed plenty of upward momentum in recent years - likely to help them to a fourth-place finish in this year's championship on form.

"We sold him the goal of fighting for championships in 2021, and to start winning races, I hope, in 2020, but not before," Abiteboul told Auto Hebdo.

"And he has also been sold a role that goes beyond that of simply a driver, but that of someone who participates in building a team.

"I realized that the drivers at age 29 - it's the same with Nico. When they are 31, they want to drive but also aspire to something else.

"This is not the case for everyone but it is for these two guys."