Daniel Ricciardo not running scared of future Lewis Hamilton link-up

Daniel Ricciardo

Ricciardo not running scared of future Hamilton link-up

Ricciardo would like to partner Hamilton in F1 in the future

Sam Hall

Friday 27 November 2020 05:00

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Daniel Ricciardo has said he would love to 'try out' being team-mates with seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton before the Briton retires.

Hamilton has only been defeated by a team-mate twice in his 14-year F1 career. In 2011 Jenson Button became the first driver to achieve the feat and, in 2016, Nico Rosberg famously beat Hamilton to the championship title.

Button recently identified Ricciardo as one of the few drivers who he believes could provide Hamilton with a challenge, claiming his relaxed nature "would mentally hurt Lewis a lot".

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Responding to the comments, Ricciardo said: “I’d like to obviously try it out one day. Hopefully, Lewis hangs around long enough and we’ll see what happens.”

Of his relaxed demeanour and ability to enjoy a joke even when things get tough, Ricciardo added: "I’ve never really thought about how it probably affects a team-mate.

"I know it affects me in a positive way. I guess the way I approach the sport and the racing, obviously, when it’s time to take it seriously I do, but I like to have fun with it as well and I’m able to move on I think pretty quickly."

Ricciardo has often been able to reflect on a tough day with a smile on his face when entering the media pen but the Australian warned this is not him taking things lightly, it is simply his way of dealing with disappointment.

“It’s not in a carefree, reckless way like, ‘Oh I had a bad race. Who cares? I’ll move on and race again'." added Ricciardo.

"I will dissect it, but by Monday or Tuesday, I’m over it as far as it being maybe a bad result and I’m onto the next.

“I think it helps also if I am getting beat, I can overcome it quicker."

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