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Daniel Ricciardo: Renault need to make bigger steps” for 2020 podium targets

Daniel Ricciardo: Renault need to make "bigger steps” for 2020 podium targets

20-08-2019 12:33

Bevan Youl

Daniel Ricciardo has said that Renault “need to start making bigger steps” during the second half of the current season in order to be on target for podium expectations in 2020 after a difficult start.

Last year Renault emerged as the best of the rest behind the top three teams as they finished the constructors’ championship fourth, but this season have struggled to fins the same ground.
 
With their acquirement of Ricciardo from Red Bull to drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg they looked to pose a threat but through setbacks and some retirements the French team sit 43 points off current fourth placed McLaren.
 
Ricciardo said of his time so far to Motorsport.com: “I don't want to say [it’s been] in line [with expectations], because obviously I hoped for more, but I knew it wasn't going to happen like this.
 
“So if I look at Canada, the qualifying, I'd actually say that exceeded probably some expectation in the first few races, but then obviously some other races like Austria, that was lower than our expectations.

“So we bounced around in between everything really, but now at this halfway point I think we could say, alright, we need to do better, if we want to be on target for podiums in 2020, we need to start making bigger steps for the second half of the year.”

Renault returned to Formula 1 as a works team in 2016 with a five-year plan to elevate them to the front of the grid, while Ricciardo hopes the second part of this year will bring more top six finishes for the team.

“Up until now, let's say I'm somewhere in the middle with expectations, but I would now expect the second half of the season to have some more regular, whatever it is, top-six finishes,” he added.