Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo will drive for the Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2012 alongside rookie Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne. The Australian knows he's facing a tough challenge this year.
In 2011, Ricciardo competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 series and contested 11 Grands Prix in the second part of the season with the small HRT team.
After Sebastien Buemi and Jamie Alguersuari were evicted from the Toro Rosso team at the end of last year, Ricciardo is fully aware that he must deliver on this opportunity.
“I have been working with Dr Helmut Marko for four years now so I know very well that he has high expectations. It’s always been the case,” said Ricciardo in an interview posted on Formula 1's official web site.
“I use it as motivation to get the best out of myself and push to the very limit. If this is achieved then hat's real success”.
The Australian also knew that being part of the HRT team last year was an important moment on his learning curve.
“I always saw it as an opportunity. I knew if I could do well at HRT, it could lead to bigger things,” he explained.
“So it didn’t really matter how competitive the car was, I just had to learn as much as I could and keep trying to get the most out of it. I believe now it has set me up very well for this year. It was a great move for my career,” he added.
Ricciardo is aware that the Scuderia Toro Rosso nurture talents for Red Bull Racing. Will he take a shot at claiming Mark Webber’s seat next year?
“There has already been talk about this in the media, which seems pretty optimistic,” he said.
“We haven’t even sat in a car yet for 2012 and they are already looking at 2013. It’s a long time away and many things can happen between now and then, that’s the reality. I understand very well the philosophy of Red Bull and, yes, one day I would love to race for Red Bull Racing, but that’s all it is for now - just a bit of a goal. I have 20 races this year which I will take one by one and make sure I leave every event fulfilled and with no regrets,” Ricciardo added.
In 2011, Ricciardo competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 series and contested 11 Grands Prix in the second part of the season with the small HRT team.
After Sebastien Buemi and Jamie Alguersuari were evicted from the Toro Rosso team at the end of last year, Ricciardo is fully aware that he must deliver on this opportunity.
“I have been working with Dr Helmut Marko for four years now so I know very well that he has high expectations. It’s always been the case,” said Ricciardo in an interview posted on Formula 1's official web site.
“I use it as motivation to get the best out of myself and push to the very limit. If this is achieved then hat's real success”.
The Australian also knew that being part of the HRT team last year was an important moment on his learning curve.
 |
| Daniele Ricciardo in HRT's garage. (Photo: Hispania Racing Team) |
“I always saw it as an opportunity. I knew if I could do well at HRT, it could lead to bigger things,” he explained.
“So it didn’t really matter how competitive the car was, I just had to learn as much as I could and keep trying to get the most out of it. I believe now it has set me up very well for this year. It was a great move for my career,” he added.
Ricciardo is aware that the Scuderia Toro Rosso nurture talents for Red Bull Racing. Will he take a shot at claiming Mark Webber’s seat next year?
“There has already been talk about this in the media, which seems pretty optimistic,” he said.
“We haven’t even sat in a car yet for 2012 and they are already looking at 2013. It’s a long time away and many things can happen between now and then, that’s the reality. I understand very well the philosophy of Red Bull and, yes, one day I would love to race for Red Bull Racing, but that’s all it is for now - just a bit of a goal. I have 20 races this year which I will take one by one and make sure I leave every event fulfilled and with no regrets,” Ricciardo added.