Ricciardo feels ready to join Red Bull in 2014
Considered to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull, should his compatriot leave, Daniel Ricciardo has stated that he feels ready if the Austrian team calls on him. However, for now, the Australian is with Toro Rosso and the Faenza team's priority is to him for the remainder of the 2013 season.
At the end of the current season, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne will finish their second year with the Toro Rosso team, and this is generally the cycle by which drivers must have proven themselves to hope for a place with the Red Bull Racing team, probably that of Mark Webber whose future is still uncertain.
Daniel Ricciardo, who has gained an advantage over Jean-Eric Vergne at the start of the season, revealed in an exclusive interview with the official Formula 1 website that if the Austrian team were to call on him, he feels ready: « I’m ready. But I don’t want to get into that. For now, I am with Toro Rosso and I will do my best here. But if someone comes to see me, I’m ready. »
The Australian also revealed that he was well aware of this “limit” of two years – on which Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari stumbled and on which, notably, Antonio Felix da Costa and Carlos Sainz Jr count to make it to F1: « I totally agree with that. One year is clearly not enough to see the potential of a young driver, but after two years, it should allow you to know if you have it or not. Two years should be enough. You can’t ask for more. »
Ricciardo also shared that this first full year in F1 in 2012 allowed him to improve, especially in the physical preparation for Grand Prix and training throughout the year: « The older you get – and the more you travel – the more you start to understand what your body needs to handle jet lag and physical demands, so I’ve adjusted my training a bit. When you’re young, you think that training every day is the best thing for you – that if you train every day, you’re stronger. But it’s not always the case. You learn it by getting older and wiser! It’s important to let your body rest, so I’ve made some changes to my training – and it helps. I remember Monaco last year: I wasn’t doing so well – probably overtrained and a bit tired – but that’s how it is. I feel much better now – and I think it shows on the track. »
The Perth native thus feels he has improved and hopes to demonstrate it this weekend by qualifying in the top 10 and confirming it in the race: « For Sunday, I’m hungry for points – more than just one point. I think if we’re in the top 10, that’s good, but 10th is not enough here. I want to be a bit greedy and race for big points. »
