Renault: Only way is up for Daniel Ricciardo

After moving straight into Formula One from Formula Renault 3.5 Series during the 2011 season, Daniel Ricciardo is continuing to make speedy progress, having secured a seat with Infiniti Red Bull Racing-Renault for the 2014 season.

Daniel Ricciardo, Scuderia Toro Rosso

Photo by: XPB Images

Daniel Ricciardo cut his teeth in single-seater racing in his native Australia and Asia before furthering his education in Renault Sport Technologies’ Europe-based driver development programme.

Daniel joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2008, which was the same year he won the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Championship and finished as runner up in the Eurocup to Valtteri Bottas. Daniel followed this by winning the British Formula Three title 12 months later.

The Australian returned to the World Series by Renault fold in 2010, chalking up eight poles and four wins during the course of an exciting Formula Renault 3.5 Series duel with Mikhail Aleshin, the Russian only prevailing in the season’s final race, the highlight of which was Daniel’s memorable tussle with Tech 1 Racing team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne.

The Aussie driver switched to ISR for the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series campaign, and in July that year he earned his first F1 drive with HRT. After appearing in ten grands prix that season, he continued his apprenticeship by joining Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2012.

Daniel Ricciardo’s Infiniti Red Bull Racing-Renault deal will see him team up with three-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel next year, both men having taken the fast track from Formula Renault 3.5 straight to the pinnacle of motorsport, as have Jean-Eric Vergne, Jules Bianchi, Robert Kubica and Jaime Alguersuari.

The circle is now complete for Daniel Ricciardo, who is set to continue his long association with Renault when he takes to the wheel of a car powered by the new Energy F1-2014 Power Unit.

Renault Sport