Daniel Ricciardo has zero driver points after two GPs, a disqualification from a podium finish and a further penalty from last week’s Malaysian Grand Prix. But despite a turbulent start to his rookie season, Red Bull Racing is nothing but impressed with their young Australian.
After being stripped of a second placed finish at his debut GP in Melbourne, Ricciardo was handed a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix for an incorrect pit stop in Malaysia. It wasn’t the best of finishes for the 24-year-old who was in place to finish fourth down the final stretch before being forced into retirement due to vehicle issues with three laps remaining.
While Mercedes have raced to the top of the F1 standings, Red Bull have struggled through a tough opening two rounds on the back of a disastrous pre-season.
“Daniel was fantastic,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told News Corp of Ricciardo’s go in Malaysia.
“Anybody that said he was not committed enough over the first lap or so, I think he proved any doubters absolutely wrong. He’s an absolute racer.
“He got stuck in, he made the pass on Alonso, he went around the outside of Seb. They gave each other enough room to work with and he nearly had a run at Rosberg as well.
Red Bull also pleased with Ricciardo’s work alongside four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel after the German previously clashed with former Australian teammate Mark Webber.
“So everything we’ve seen of Daniel is enormously impressive. The way he handles things and the way he handles adversity. Today didn’t go his way, he gets out of the car, he has a smile on his face and he knows that it will come right.”
Red Bull denied rumours on Tuesday it would be dropping an appeal for Ricciardo’s Melbourne disqualification as a trade-off for having Vettel’s comments about the new V6 engines- described by the German as “shit”- thrown out of a rumoured disrepute charge.
According to Red Bull the claims are “utter nonsense” and the team have not received any word about Vettel’s choice use of words.
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Photos: Peter Fox, Mark Thompson/Getty Images
