Ricciardo gets Red Bull test chance

2011 F1 testing

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Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, Jerez, 2009

Daniel Ricciardo will test for Red Bull in the sessions for young drivers at Abu Dhabi next week.

The Australian, who is their test and reserve driver, also drove for them in last year’s test.

He impressed by setting fastest time on the final day of last year’s test. He will drive for them on both days of the young drivers’ test.

Red Bull also confirmed Mark Webber will not be driving in the separate test on the 19th and 20th.

Sebastian Vettel will drive on both of the days when the teams get their first chance to use Pirelli tyres.

Read more: 2011 F1 testing dates confirmed

Image © Red Bull/Getty images

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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52 comments on “Ricciardo gets Red Bull test chance”

  1. Looking forward to getting behind another aussie in F1. Looking like it may coincide with Webber’s retirement for the 2012 season.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      11th November 2010, 8:47

      If Webber retires ahead of 2012, it’s unlikely Ricciardo would replace him. Given that Jacques Villeneuve has folded in his attempts to buy Toro Rosso, it’s likely that they’ll be sticking around for 2011 at least. And if they do, then either Buemi or Alguersuari will get called up to join Vettel. But it’s more likely Red Bull will take an established, existing driver before they even consider Buemi and Alguersuari (who they will certainly consider before someone like Ricciardo). After all, when was the last time a rookie made his debut in a top team? Lewis Hamilton is the obvious answer, but compare Hamilton’s early results to Ricciardo’s – Ricciardo is nowhere near Hamilton. Who else debuted with a first-class team? Alonso didn’t; he started with Minardi. Schumacher joined Jordan, then Bennetton. Button started with Williams. Massa started with Sauber. Kubica started with BMW Sauber. Vettel started with BMW Sauber and moved to Toro Rosso. Webber started with Minardi. And they’re the current crop of good drivers. Red Bull would be better off shooting themselves in their feet than taking Daniel Ricciardo for his debut season.

      1. Good point PM. Although you can make an argument that Kubica starting off in BMW Sauber was a lot closer to starting off in a top team than any of the current crop of top drivers you listed, save for Hamilton that is.

      2. I’m not saying here that he will join RBR. What I am saying is that Webber will probably finish somewhere mid top10 in the WDC which will prob see him retire. I think that this will conincide with the time that Daniel gets a drive for someone. Prob GP2 next year, will do well and get the call-up from someone. Obviously just hypothesising.

      3. – Villeneuve was a rookie when he started with Williams.
        – David Coulthard was also a rookie when he started with Williams.
        – Jenson Button was also a rookie when he started for BMW Williams F1 team.

        … I was trying to prove a point, but I think the point I am proving is that williams takes on a lot of rookies!

        1. Or it could just be that all the British drivers start with the British teams (if you add Hamilton)

    2. Ricciardo would be a huge addition to the grid. The guy is very down to earth and very genuine – he’d instantly become the most popular guy on the grid.

      It’d be great to have someone you can genuinely relate to on the grid and I think he’ll do wonders for Australia’s image the world over.

      Don’t get me wrong – Webber is a champ too but he’s so driven that sometimes he comes off as cold and distant (especially in press interviews). Wouldn’t be the case with Daniel.

      1. I met Daniel this year at the APG & he was lovely, really nice guy. I have already decided that when Alonso & Webber retire, he is going to become my new favourite driver.

  2. Prisoner Monkeys
    11th November 2010, 8:40

    Eh, I don’t really see what’s so great about Ricciardo. A lot of people seem to be tipping him to join Red Bull in Webber’s seat, but he’s just not good enough. Red Bull are fighting for World Championships; they can’t be taking on an untried and untested rookie when they need two top-flight drivers in order to bid for the Constructors’ Championship. Daniel Ricciardo is not the man to do that – someone like Robert Kubica or maybe Nico Hulkenberg will be. I think it’s pretty telling that Ricciardo couldn’t beat Mikhail Aleshin in the World Series by Renault. After all, Red Bull cut Aleshin loose from their Young Driver Program, so until Ricciardo can beat him regularly and consistently, he shouldn’t even be considered for a full-time Formula 1 drive, much less one in a championship-worthy team.

    1. Are you serious? Ricciardo lost to Aleshin by 2 whole points. It came down to the last race of the season. Furthermore Ricciardo won 4 races this year, Aleshin won 3 races. Also it is Aleshin’s fourth complete season in Formula Renault 3.5. It was Ricciardo’s 1st complete season.

      Also from memory Ricciardo was pretty fast in testing last year. http://www.remoracing.com.au/latestnews/287

      1. Prisoner Monkeys
        11th November 2010, 9:41

        Yes, I’m serious. Because the fact is that Ricciardo still finished behind someone who had more experince with the category than he did. Ricicardo won four races, Aleshin won three – so you have to ask: why did Aleshin still beat him?

        1. Ricciardo was taken out @ Silverstone in that big crash off the start line (where another car speared in to him and caused the roll-over). Wouldn’t have helped him.

          1. Exactly foocode. He started 3rd in that race, and might have easily converted that to a win, or at least a podium, which would have seen him win the championship (which would mean Red Bull and Renault would be fighting over who gets put him in their car for the young driver test). For a rookie to almost take the championship from a guy with four years experience in the series is a pretty good effort, regardless of how skewed your opinion of the guy might be.

          2. I agree, He can’t touch Hulkenburg’s resume, but apart from him, Daniel seems to be one of the forerunners to get a seat.

            Maybe Red Bull would replace Webber with him, at least then they wouldn’t have to balance their two drivers.

      2. Guerrieri won 5 races, and missed 4 races during the season.

        Let Esteban test for them :D

      3. Pinball, Ricciardo set those times in the fastest fully upgraded RB5, that kinda skewers the results.

  3. I prefer to go by the stop watch rather than giving any credence to PM’s twisted bias. I’ll revisit last years test times in the RB5 and compare them with not only the contemporary rookies but the full time drivers to make my judgement.

  4. Yeah we get it. You don’t like him.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      11th November 2010, 9:04

      I didn’t say I didn’t like him. I said I didn’t think he had what it took to make it in Formula 1, least of all with a team that wholly expects to be winning championships – and I supplied proof of that argument: Ricciardo cannot beat a Red Bull reject on a regular basis. If you were Christian Horner and you had to fill Mark Webber’s seat, would you put Ricciardo in the car when you could have your pick of driver?

      1. But maybe RB don’t want a good experienced driver alongside Vettel. Look whats happened this year!! Maybe Marko wants 2 of his puppets racing together so he can control what happens? Just a thought….

        1. But even if it was an uncomfortable position from the view of managing the drivers, they have surely got to see they need 2 top level drivers to be a serious contender.

          The car itself would have won by miles, if they cut out their own mistakes on strategy (an experienced winner would help there) and driver mistakes this will certainly do the job.
          Vettel is bound to have learnt from this year, but when Webber leaves they need an experienced racer, possibly a race winner to fill in the void, PM is right on that.

  5. Red Bull also confirmed Mark Webber will not be driving in the separate test on the 19th and 20th.

    If that doesn’t add further fuel to the rumours he’s leaving next year I don’t know what does.

    1. Icthyes: it certainly does. I think Webber and where he goes or doesn’t go may make him just as pivotal a figure in next year’s championship as he has been in this years.

      1. Prisoner Monkeys
        11th November 2010, 9:43

        If Webber isn’t with Red Bull next year, then I expect he’ll retire early. Ferrari is the only top-flight team I can think of with anything but a certain driver line-up, and I cannot see Webber being happy there.

        If he feels the treatment from Red Bull was bad enough, then I could see him pulling a Damon Hill and signing with a team like Hispania or Marussia Virgin and then retiring before the season began to deny Red Bull the right to carry the numbers 0 and 2.

        1. I bet McLaren would pay for the 1 and 2 cars again.

          1. Prisoner Monkeys
            11th November 2010, 11:49

            They can’t. Button and Hamilton are sewn up until 2012. I wouldn’t put it past Ferrari, though. Buy Webber’s number, then expect him to play second fiddle to Alonso.

          2. “Buy Webber’s number, then expect him to play second fiddle to Alonso.”

            I doubt it. Traditionally Ferrari like to make their own champions not bring them in bar except maybe Schumi when they were desperate and even Alonso’s arrival to Maranello was pretty quiet.

            Ferrari would also let their drivers race early on until it was established who was their best bet and then enforce the number 1 and 2 driver policy as they’ve done for quite a while.

        2. Let him join Lotus in a Goldleaf livery with the nr. 1 and 2 on the cars! That would be a major stunt, and Gascoyne is sure to give Webber the square fairness he demands of his team (as well as welcoming Webber knowledge of RBR components, I would think)

          1. How cool would it be to have a top driver in one of the new teams? (No offence to Jarno.)

    2. You hit the nail on the head. It does seem that Webber is on his way out. I see Webber as the biggest loser here though. Next year’s top teams are going to be among Red Bull, Ferrari, Mclaren, Mercedez and Renault. If not Red Bull, where will Webber go? he has no chance of matching Alonso at Ferrari, Lewis at Mclaren, Kubica at Renault, and any of the German drivers in the German team.

      It seems that Webber is putting all the eggs in this year’s basket. He wants to win the championship even if it comes at the cost of a shot at the title next year.

      1. “he has no chance of matching Alonso at Ferrari, Lewis at Mclaren, Kubica at Renault, and any of the German drivers in the German team”

        You realise that’s what a lot of people said and expected at the start of last year longside vettel?

        Webber may well win the championship this year, move to ferrari cause that’s just awesome and retire at the end of next year. kinda like fisi last year. even if you don’t have the best chance of winning, hey, it’s ferrari, you don’t get much better than that.

        PS: i reckon webber would still be relatively competitive at ferrari, ie: better than massa

    3. Well it does if you don’t know the reason why… Mark will be missing the test because he’ll be having leg surgery:
      http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/Surgery-means-Webber-to-miss-first-Pirelli-test.html

      1. Excellent Raifosa! But some facts won’t stop the conspiracy theorists and the bad-wishers from spreading the rumours unfortunately.

      2. Ah ,so Webber has been driving still not in 100% physically fit condition. Guess that makes his efforts this year look all the better. Maybe next year when he’s driving for Williams / Ferrari / Force India ( take your pick ) and 101% fit he can REALLY show them what he can do !!

      3. Thanks for getting some facts into the discussion.

      4. Ohh!! Didn’t know that.

        I might come across as a desperate conspiracy theorist here – But if the surgery has waited till the end of the season, can’t it wait for 2 more days?

        Anyways, I am inclined to believe that Webber’s days are numbered at Red Bull. Remember, towards the end of the 2007 season, both Alonso and Mclaren said that they would continue their association in 2008. Only Alonso fans believed that PR crap though. I think the same is happening here.

        And which number do you think is higher? Number of Drivers wanting the Red Bull seat? or Number of Teams wanting Webber to drive for them?

        1. I too believe Webber’s days in RB team are numbered: 380 to be exact, which is the number of days left until the end of 2011 season.

    4. Not nessicarily, but it certainly shows, RBR are far more supporting Vettel than they are behind Webber.

  6. Ha! Another Red Bull equality! It seems like they don’t want him to challenge the championship or block Vettel’s march again!

  7. Who do you guys rate is better? Petrov or Massa?

    1. right now? definitely massa.
      when massa was petrov’s age? sorry, didn’t follow f1 that closely then….. i was too young myself.

    2. I think if you Base Massa’s talent just on this year, you’ll be sorely under rating him.

      For Massa this year has been a shocker, But things move in F1, You never know, Alonso might be on the back foot next year.

  8. just in the unlikely scenario that further proof that Vettel was the teams favorite was needed, this is it!

  9. If you win Renault World Series the prize is a test in the Renault F1 car. Dan just missed out by a few points and gets to drive the championship winning Red Bull instead.

    Maybe he just missed out on the title on purpose…

  10. If Webber retirees in the future someone from the present Torro Ross join Red Bull & Daniel Ricciardo joins Torro Rosso & then may be in the future he may also join Red Bull.

  11. Does anyone know if Daniel Ricciardo or his dad used to drive in the national sports sedan championship in Australia? I think they used to have an insane Chevy powered Saab that was faster than a V8 Supercar around Phillips Island at the time. May be no relation or I have confused my names… :-)

    1. No your thinking of Tony Ricciardello.

  12. According to Red Bull, Webber isn’t doing the test because he’s doing a show car run in Perth, Australia.

    As Raifosa pointed out he is also having leg surgery in the off-season. I checked with Red Bull and they said they’re not sure if the operation conflicts with the test, but presumably if he’s driving a show car it’s not going to be within a few days of him having leg surgery.

    1. I’m not trying to read too much into this but its rather odd scheduling for a show car run when they have known about the tire test for a while…

    2. Though Jenson and Lewis aren’t doing the tyre test either, so presumably its not a huge disadvantage.

  13. I believe Webber won’t be testing bas he’s due to have more leg surgery after the race.

    Is anyone else as sick of Whinger Webber as I am? From his childish outburst at Silverstone to his comments in the press that’s he’s not being loved enough, he’d still whine if he wonthe title. I don’t know why Mateschitz didn’t can him after Silverstone. Is is definitely 1/ jealous of Vettel, 2/ unprofessional. What a great influence on younger drivers coming up – if I don’t get my own way I’ll go to the press and whine. The guy definitely thinks he’s bigger than he really is. Good riddance to him. Vettel for World Champion and Weber on a one way flight back to Sydney with his dogs!

  14. Is that you Sebasssssstian?

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