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.”
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Newey set to announce STUNNING Red Bull departure
- 36 minutes ago
Talented young F1 prodigy set to make series DEBUT
- 1 hour ago
F1 champion reveals 'painful' contract clause that cost him HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
- 2 hours ago
F1 legend's ICONIC car put up for sale in UK
- 3 hours ago
Incredible statistic puts Verstappen AHEAD of Hamilton record
- Today 13:57
Fierce rival calls Hamilton F1's GOAT in surprise admission
- Today 12:57
Related news
Ricciardo boss in 'super disappointing' claim amid RB stars' performance
Horner delivers threat to Ricciardo over Red Bull pressure
Marko suggests 'exciting' move to REPLACE Ricciardo
Ricciardo SNUBS team-mate in 'pressure' claim
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860