MOTORSPORT: Daniel Ricciardo takes reported pay cut

F1 star Daniel Ricciardo will reportedly take a pay cut this year to help his Renault team through the coronavirus pandemic.

Renault Formula 1 team boss Cyril Abiteboul said this week that Perth-born Ricciardo was “willing” to forego some of his annual salary after the French team stood down most of its F1 staff at the Enstone factory in England.

"It's a discussion we've already had. Daniel has already confirmed he is willing ... I can confirm to you that he will reduce it," Abiteboul told French newspaper L'Equipe.

Ricciardo’s existing two-year deal with Renault is said to be worth about $A40 million annually, making him one of the sport’s highest paid drivers. The seven-time race winner joined Renault at the end of the 2018 after more than a decade in the Red Bull family.

While he reportedly agreed to reduce his wages this year, the coronavirus could have ongoing ramifications for the carsales.com.au global ambassador (and the much of the Formula 1 grid, for that matter) as he is off contract at season’s end and negotiations would have usually begun by now.

"In a normal season, we would have started work on the matter," said Abiteboul.

"We would have evaluated Daniel's performance over the first four races and started or not the first discussions.

"We haven't turned a wheel. We are blind but have to plan. We may have to take decisions without the season starting."

With fears this year’s F1 season may have to be abandoned altogether because of COVID-19, Renault could end up paying Ricciardo for little return this year.

Ricciardo has already been linked as a possible replacement for Sebastian Vettel over at Ferrari, but before then, the Aussie would no doubt have unfinished business at Renault,

Asked whether it would be a problem if Ricciardo left, Abiteboul said: "It would be if I had not seen it coming or anticipated it”.

"That's why we are having discussions and have a driver academy."

The F1 season was thrown into disarray on the eve of this year’s Melbourne Grand Prix when organisers were forced to announce an 11th hour cancellation. Since then, the Monaco Grand Prix has been axed and seven other races have been postponed.

At last count, Formula 1 officials said they hoped to run a reduced European-only calendar that would run later into the year.