Ricciardo: "I changed overtaking" in F1

In his last column on Red Bull Racing's website, Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that he thinks he has changed the level of overtaking in Formula 1, as his first year at the team in 2014 saw him having many intense battles at the front of the grid.

The 29-year-old made his debut for the Bulls in his native Australia in 2014, and he won three of the seven races he drove that season. 

"That’s the year I look back at being the most fun for me and the most important for my career since," he wrote.

"The wins were big, and I had a massive battle with Fernando in Germany where we raced really hard but fair, and he had some praise for me afterwards which was big at the time."

That year, the only year he was teammates with Sebastian Vettel before the German left for Ferrari (and he outscored Vettel that year) proved to be the first of five years in the Bulls' garage. It was also his most important year, he explained.

"I feel 2014 didn’t just shape me and my approach from then on, it changed the level of overtaking from other guys in the sport as well. I really believe that. Not many people were doing that, coming from a long way back and trying big passing moves.

"Maybe they learned from me and the way I was racing, so perhaps I set a new level and showed people what was possible, and the drivers that were willing to try it were trying it. I realise that sounds a bit cocky, but I really do believe that. Not saying all of them can do it … but at least more of them are trying!