HONE
Still looking for his chance to beat Lewis
Daniel Ricciardo has been one of Formula 1’s top drivers for several years now. Since getting the better of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2014, the likeable Australian has been worthy of a title tilt, if only he had the right machinery.
Red Bull never quite provided that as the Mercedes steamroller got going in the early years of the turbo-hybrid era. Ricciardo then matched up very well to rising star Max Verstappen, something that people now appreciate more given how much his successors have struggled.
Ricciardo’s move to Renault was bold and risky, one that he felt he had to take given Verstappen’s growing status at Red Bull. Renault hasn’t been able to provide Ricciardo with a winning car but, as he shows in his interview with Alex Kalinauckas on page 20, the 31-year-old has been able to learn while also underlining his class.
Ricciardo’s move to McLaren for next year won’t guarantee success, but the team is on the up – and is getting a driver it knows can compete with the best. Let’s just hope the much-vaunted 2022 rule changes level the playing field so Ricciardo can prove it.
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Kevin Turner Chief Editor kevin.turner@autosport.com
NEXT WEEK 3 DECEMBER Bahrain GP report, WEC and BTCC reviews, and our
Christmas gi guide
feature next week
COVER IMAGE James Moy/Renault F1 Team
PIT & PADDOCK 6 Red Bull closes on engine choice 8 WEC LMP2 set for big increase 10 Ciceley switches to BTCC BMWs 12 Chadwick gets Extreme E seat 13 Bahrain GP preview 15 Opinion: Alex Kalinauckas 17 Opinion: Marcus Simmons 19 Feedback: your letters
INSIGHT 20 Daniel Ricciardo interview 28 IndyCar review: Dixon’s sixth 34 It’s GT2 but not as we know it 40 Loeb on his Dakar challenge 44 Hoggard’s prize F1 test 48 Awards nominations: have your say
RACE CENTRE 52 World of Sport: Macau GP; MotoGP
CLUB AUTOSPORT 66 Amon Cup GT40 series planned 68 Leading circuits set for funding boost 70 BRSCC to split MX-5 Mk1 races 71 Opinion: Stephen Lickorish 72 The family that built a title winner
FINISHING STRAIGHT 76 What’s on this week 79 Top five first-generation GT2 cars 80 From the archive: 2006 San Marino GP 82 Autosport 70: McRae secures world title
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26 NOVEMBER 2020 AUTOSPORT.COM 5
