Ricciardo: Time for Renault “homework” at high-downforce tracks

Daniel Ricciardo hopes Renault will soon be in a position where it can replicate its strong Monza performance at all types of circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.

Renault enjoyed its best result of the 2019 season – and it’s highest points haul in over a decade - last time out at the Italian Grand Prix as Ricciardo led home teammate Nico Hulkenberg in fourth place.

However, the French manufacturer is braced for a potentially tougher time at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, having been less competitive at slow-speed, high-downforce circuits so far this year.

“I felt it was a bit overdue because really since Canada we hadn’t had a strong team result,” Ricciardo said following the Italian Grand Prix.

“We finally got maximum points if you know what I mean. That is really pleasing. I want to give an extra special shout out to Viry, to the engine boys, because this sort of result here as a Renault team and power unit is quite a statement.

“Every year we come [to Monza] and it feels like that there is a lack of optimism, at least in the last few years it was never a strength of ours coming here. For them to turn it around this year to make the gains and to put on this result is special.

“Hopefully we can learn something from these low downforce circuits and take it into high downforce one like Singapore.

“I singled them out for sure, but Enstone have definitely for the last few weekends built a car on low downforce which felt immediately out of the box something that was, even though there is less grip with a small wing, it kind of felt easier to drive and more balanced.

“So coming into Singapore there is a lot of things we can learn with the high downforce, and take something from that.

“We definitely seem stronger on these high-speed flowing parts, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t get it right on the low speeds, so we will do some homework and hopefully this is an encouraging result for the boys in Enstone as well, and particularly as I said for Viry.”

Renault heads to Singapore having closed the gap to current midfield leaders McLaren to 18 points in the constructors’ championship.