F1 | Renault, Abiteboul: “Ricciardo's arrival has brought enthusiasm within the team”

The arrival of Daniel Ricciardo has brought a lot of enthusiasm to Renault. The French team, after years of suffering with the arrival of the hybrid, now wants to return to the top as it was in the mid-2000s with Fernando Alonso. The purchase of the Australian driver is certainly an important ingredient to achieve this goal, but it takes a union of intent within a team that is constantly growing, but at the moment not yet at the level of Ferrari and Mercedes.

“It was fantastic news, and it was incredibly well received in the Viry and Enstone factories – said Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul ad Motorsport. I expected a positive reaction, but nothing so exciting: it was a fantastic moment, I had never seen a reaction like that in either factory, it all reminded me of the titles with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006. We didn't have won nothing, but there is the feeling of being on the right path to being able to win something. We feel a responsibility to create an engine and chassis capable of giving what Daniel deserves. We now feel we have obligations to Renault, its sponsors, fans and the brand's motorsport legacy. I don't want to see disappointment in Ricciardo's eyes, and I don't even want to hear what McLaren felt with Fernando in recent years. I was clear with Daniel: I told him that we are in the construction and training phase, that we are progressing and that if he wanted to reach the top immediately, he would have to look elsewhere. His contribution will be very important, he will be an ambassador and leader and will have to bring his experience within the team. We have added many resources to the team, many people, but now we need that spark to turn the corner."