Ricciardo: 2018 F1 struggles made me more mature

Daniel Ricciardo feels he will be “a more mature person” in Formula 1 this year as a result of his challenging 2018 campaign with Red Bull.

Ricciardo shocked the F1 world by announcing his exit from Red Bull after five seasons last August, opting to sign with Renault on a two-year deal from 2019.

The Australian helped unveil Renault’s new livery for the R.S.19 car alongside teammate Nico Hulkenberg on Tuesday, and spoke of his excitement for joining the French manufacturer.

“Renault has a massive history in motorsport, so to be part of the next step of their Formula 1 journey is an exciting challenge,” Ricciardo said.

“I’m here to do a job on track and drive as fast as possible, but I would like to bring the team energy. I want to put a spring in everyone’s step because that’s part of my job and also my character.

“I aim to be able to get the team to work that extra bit harder, put in more effort and rally everyone together. I’d like to be a catalyst for positive energy.”

Ricciardo’s final season with Red Bull proved challenging as reliability issues often denied him the chance to fight at the front of the pack, leaving him with just two podium finishes – race wins in China and Monaco – and eight retirements come the end of the season.

Nevertheless, Ricciardo said he believes the struggles of last year will help him mature heading into his first season with Renault.

“Everything I learnt in 2018 will make me a better version of myself in 2019,” Ricciardo said.

“The difference will be a more mature person. I have more clarity of where I’m going and I aim for that to be shown with good results on track.

“I feel a lot of positive pressure and expectation to do good things, but that’s something I’m looking forward to taking on.”