Daniel Ricciardo ended a two-year stint with Renault with a strong run to seventh place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and even took the final fastest lap bonus point of the year to end his time with the team he was part of in 2019 Style.
The key to his race at Yas Marina was a 39-lap stint on the hard tires – Ricciardo had started P11 after failing the third quarter on Saturday – with the Australian’s pace enough to keep him just two places Dropping fifth to his last place P7 target position when he came out of the pits – when he decided to stay outside when the safety car was called on lap 11 while many of his rivals pitted before him.
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“It was really important, it prepared the race,” said Ricciardo of his opening stint. “Last night we weren’t convinced that we should start hard, but today we got the idea. Obviously it was the right call. I didn’t know if the safety car would hurt or help us, but I was able to hold the guys back on the new tire, settle into my rhythm and close the gap. It was nice.
“I know that I only get one point for the fastest lap, it doesn’t change the championship, but I think just the way of sending those two years at Renault, which was the fastest to the end, was just one little sentimental value there. “
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020: Ricciardo says goodbye to Renault
The P7 and P9 target positions of Ricciardo and Ocon in Abu Dhabi were not enough to bring Renault higher than P5 in the constructors’ standings, as they jumped for third place in the overall standings due to a strong race by Ricciardo’s future McLaren team. In a year in which he finished two podiums and fifth in the drivers’ standings – higher than his last year at Red Bull – the 31-year-old said he enjoyed his last season as a Renault driver.
“This year has been great,” he said. “There were some highs last year but there weren’t enough of them and we felt like last year was underachieving. To change it this year it was strong and we were proud.
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“Of course we only missed fourth place among the designers, but fifth among the drivers. I am really happy personally. It was a very strong year. I thank Renault, I thank Enstone for two years, but actually Viry [Renault’s French power unit factory] for seven. I’ve been driving Renault engines since the hybrid era.
“That was an intense six months,” added Ricciardo from the 2020 season. “I loved it, but it was intense. If you told me we had another race next weekend I don’t know if I would be that excited so I’m really glad it’s over now. I just want to lie on a couch for a week and do nothing. “
Daniel Ricciardo thought Abu Dhabi was like a time trial, but satisfied with the fastest lap
