MOTORSPORT: Ricciardo can feel a shoey coming on

Daniel Ricciardo is feeling the effects of drought – his podium drought.

It’s almost 18 months since the carsales.com.au global ambassador last sprayed champagne on a Formula 1 rostrum after winning the Monaco Grand Prix on May 27 last year.

The prospect of doing it at this weekend’s Brazilian GP in Sao Paulo or the season finale in Abu Dhabi two weeks later and indulging in the ‘shoey’ he trademarked internationally are not great.

But he can see it resuming next year, which will be his second season at Renault after walking away from Red Bull Racing, with which he scored 29 podiums – including seven wins – in five years.

Asked in Sao Paulo about his expectations for 2020, Ricciardo replied: “Champagne. Really, when I signed with this team, 2020 was the target, to finish on the podium at least once.

“So that’s really the target.”

While Ricciardo has had to get accustomed to racing in the midfield much more this year, he has been buoyed by the improved competitiveness and consistency of Renault’s RS19 in the second half of the season.

He finished fourth at the Italian GP in September and has been in the top eight at the past three races, although he was subsequently disqualified from his sixth place in Japan after Renault’s brake bias system was found to be a driver aid and thus not allowed.

He says Renault, which is likely to end up fifth at best in this year’s constructors’ world championship after its fourth last year, needs to make a quantum leap next season – and he has faith it can.

“McLaren [which has overtaken Renault this season using the same power unit] is proof in the pudding that you can really make a big difference in one season,” Ricciardo said.

“So I think, with a strong off-season [in constructing and testing its next car with a beefed-up engineering department], it’s not impossible for us to have a chance to fight for that next year.

“But ultimately, whether it’s champagne or not, we want to get closer to the top three teams [Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda-powered Red Bull] and actually be in the fight with those three teams more consistently next year.

“I knew when I joined Renault that it would take time to get the team to where we wanted to go.

“We’re still not there, but I think the second half of this season we’ve had a bit more consistency.

“That’s been more positive.

“Now we have some momentum, it’s important to bring that momentum through the [northern] winter for the factory, for the team who’s going to then put the effort in to get the car on track next year.

“For everyone to finish this season with their chins up and a spring in their steps and be happy to work through the winter, with a positive mindset that the following season’s going to be better.

“I’ll start to expect more, not only from myself but also from the team come 2020, but I think we’ve learned a lot [this year].

“I know I have.

“The results haven’t always been what we wanted, but I definitely don’t see it being a year to forget, or anything like that. Far from it.”

Twice third in the drivers’ world championship at Red Bull, in 2014 and ’16, Ricciardo is ninth after 19 races this season on 46 points, only two ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez driving for Mercedes-powered Racing Point and five in front of McLaren’s British rookie Lando Norris.

As he has usually done, Ricciardo has outperformed his teammate this season, German Nico Hulkenberg, who looks likely to be consigned to IndyCar racing or a sabbatical next year after being replaced by Frenchman Esteban Ocon.