Ricciardo's 'cocky' call on how he 'changed' Formula One

Daniel Ricciardo knows it’s a bit ‘cocky’ to say it, but he genuinely believes he changed Formula One during his stunning debut season with Red Bull in 2014.

The Australian will leave the team after this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bound for French marque Renault.

The transition will end a long partnership with Red Bull that began in the junior ranks and eventually brought about seven grand prix wins in five seasons with the top team.

Recent months have been tempestuous, however, characterised by zero podiums and six retirements since June.

With the pain of those races at the front of his mind, Ricciardo has reflected on the breakout 2014 season that saw him dominate his teammate and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

“That’s the year I look back at being the most fun for me and the most important for my career since,” he said in his last Red Bull diary entry.

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

“I feel ’14 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. 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. I’m not saying all of them can do it, but at least more of them are trying!”

The 29-year-old’s late-braking moves became a feature of his time with Red Bull.

His most famous might have come at the 2017 Italian Grand Prix, when he overtook Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen despite starting the long main straight well behind.

Ricciardo started 16th on the grid, finished fourth and created a new slogan when one passing move was accompanied by the words “I like them vulnerable” over his team radio.

By then he was a much-loved figure in Formula One – as quick with his tongue as he was on the track.

It wasn’t all so easy for him, back when he started with backmarkers HRT in 2011 and made his way over to Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso the following year.

Qualifying sixth and finishing 15th after a poor start was “a setback to my reputation”.

He shook that off eventually, especially in his first race with Red Bull – the 2014 Australian Grand Prix.

While he was disqualified from second in a heartbreaking post-script over fuel usage, Saturday’s qualifying set the tone for his year as he split what would become a dominant Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

“I was on inters in the rain (in qualifying), first race with the new team, home race – I was the brave kid who made the ballsy call,” Ricciardo said.

“I look back at that now and think that it was a really important race in my time at Red Bull. I went two feet in that day, was decisive, and that set the tone for the driver I was to become, especially in that first year up against Seb.

“That year, it just clicked. I always knew I had that in me, but I was able to put it all together and that confidence from that year has carried on since.”

with Autosport