Abiteboul speaks about contract situation with Ricciardo

The combination Renault and Daniel Ricciardo didn't yield really fantastic results in the 2019 season. Mainly because Renault couldn't offer the driver the material to compete at the top. This year the Australian driver will be racing again in front of the French race stable and after that it will be open, as his contract ends at the end of this year.

It's hard

Cyril Abiteboul is honest on the Formula 1 website when he says he doesn't have a good answer to the question if he wants to keep Ricciardo. "It’s strange because I have to answer that question to myself, to you, before we have even started our season number two together. That’s the difficulty" In itself a logical answer, as it can only be more concrete when the cooperation is able to develop further.

That cooperation is currently at a standstill because of the coronavirus, so only when the season starts does Abiteboul seem to be able to become really concrete about it. The Frenchman does state that Renault Ricciardo has a lot more to offer. Certainly in comparison with last year, because things didn't go so well then.

"We do feel it is a journey that has much more to offer than what it offered last year. We all know last year was a bit of mixed feelings, mixed results, to many degrees. We feel we can do better, which is why certainly there is a shared feeling we should do more."

But whether that's enough... "Whether that leads to an extension of the contract, time will tell. There is certainly a shared appetite, if my understanding is correct", Abiteboul said.