Daniel Ricciardo ready to lead Red Bull Formula 1 team in 2015
Daniel Ricciardo says he is ready to lead the Red Bull Formula 1 team next year following Sebastian Vettel's departure to Ferrari

With Daniil Kvyat joining from Toro Rosso in 2015, the Australian will be the senior driver and has no doubts he can fill the void left by Vettel in only his second season with the squad.
"Yeah, I think so," he said when asked by AUTOSPORT whether he was ready for that responsibility.
"I am always going to continue to learn and grow with the team.
"I have done quite well this year in forming relationships and I expect that to continue.
"Obviously, they will rely a bit more on my feedback.
"I am sure it will take Daniil the winter to get running and get his shoes on the ground, so they'll rely on me a little bit more at the start of the season, but I'm sure I'm the right person to control that."
PRESSURE OF EXPECTATION
Ricciardo won three races and finished third in the 2014 drivers' championship, but says he will maintain the same approach to racing next year despite the extra pressure of being an established frontrunner.
"I shouldn't let that change anything I do behind the wheel or with the engineers," he said.
"It's been such a good year and the results have shown for it, so if I ever find myself trying to get too much out of it and impress Daniil Kvyat too much then I will step back and try and take this year's approach because it has worked.
"I'm not going to take Daniil lightly."
HOPE FOR RENAULT STEP
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has laid the blame for Red Bull's deficit to 2014 world champions Mercedes at engine supplier Renault's door.
Renault will focus on Red Bull as its works partner in 2015, and Ricciardo said he hoped winter improvements would allow him to challenge Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
"I have a lot of confidence for next year [and] I will expect something better," said Ricciardo.
"Mercedes aren't going to stand still, so I'll cross my fingers that our improvement is bigger than theirs and we'll close the gap."

Previous article
Gary Anderson: McLaren was right to keep Button
Next article
Sergio Perez urges Max Verstappen to trust talent when in Formula 1

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Daniel Ricciardo |
Teams | Red Bull Racing |
Author | Ben Anderson |
Daniel Ricciardo ready to lead Red Bull Formula 1 team in 2015
The clues Hamilton’s F1 contract afterthought gives to his future
The Formula 1 world reacted with surprise when it learned Lewis Hamilton’s long-awaited new Mercedes deal guarantees his presence on the grid only until the end of 2021. Both parties claimed publicly they were happy with the arrangement but, asks MARK GALLAGHER, is there more to it than that?
How a harshly ejected Red Bull star has been hooked by racing again
Driver-turned-DJ Jaime Alguersuari lost his love for motorsport when he was booted out of Formula 1 just as he was starting to polish his rough edges. Having drifted from category to category then turned his back on racing altogether in 2015, he’s come full circle and is planning a return in karts for fun
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era