Feb.26 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo looks to be moving towards extending his stay at Renault beyond 2020.
The Australian left Red Bull at the end of 2018 to join the French works team on a lucrative two-year deal which expires this year.
He has been regularly linked with Ferrari, and top Renault officials admit they may struggle to convince 30-year-old Ricciardo to stay.
But Ricciardo tells Germany’s motorsport-total.com that his decision will not depend on concrete results like podiums.
“Obviously I would like to be on the podium,” he said. “I miss it.
“But it’s not like I just disappear when I’m not in the top five.
“You also have to look at the morale and spirit in the team. It’s about how willing they are to drive innovation and push themselves like Mercedes do, and how brave they are not to be laughed at.
“I see good signs at the moment,” Ricciardo added.
However, he said his deliberations about 2021 will have at least something to do with the progress Renault is making.
“My first impression of the car was good. I think we will definitely be better (than 2019). But the question is how much better,” said Ricciardo.
“We’ll find out in the first races.”