Ricciardo confident bad luck won't follow to Renault

Daniel Ricciardo is determined to leave behind a 2018 beset with mechanical issues as he looks ahead to switching from Red Bull to Renault's works team next season. No driver has failed to finish as many races as Ricciardo in 2018 – the Australian suffering eight DNFs in 20 races.

Ricciardo won two of the opening six races of the season to suggest a title tilt was on the cards but he has failed to take to the podium since.

The Australian was denied a top-three finish in Mexico recently when a clutch issue nine laps from the end forced him to pull over and Ricciardo suggested after the race that he would not take part in the final two grands prix of the season, although he was back in the car in Brazil and took fourth – finishing four tenths of a second behind Kimi Raikkonen.

Much mirth has been gained from Ricciardo joining Renault after many of his failure have been engine-related, but he sees no reason to panic.

"After 2018 the bad luck is just going to dissolve," Ricciardo said. "The bad luck will stay in 2018.

"Look, I am certainly excited for a change and a new challenge, but whether I'd had a run of good races or the run I've had, it would not actually change my feeling about where I am going next year.

"Even before this run of misfortune I was already looking and tempted to move on and have something different. I don't see it any different now.

"Part of me, as excited as I am to try and have a good result in the final races, I am also just excited to get the year finished and start fresh with a new team next year."

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