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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Video

I’m your boogie man

Daniel Ricciardo, 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

This time next week we’ll be well and truly in Australian Grand Prix mode. To help get you ready for the forthcoming season, and with a local Aussie flavour, here’s a 13-minute highlights package from 2014 that’s all about Daniel Ricciardo.

Last season Dan made his mark on the world of F1. It was a big challenge to take on the well-entrenched four-time world champion on the other side of the garage at Red Bull. Not only did Ricciardo take Vettel on, he beat him handsomely.

Moreover, Daniel showed he has balls of steel when he is on a charge. He made overtaking moves stick that he had no right to make. And he did it cleanly. Ricciardo was a breath of fresh air in 2014 and his three race wins amidst a season-long Mercedes AMG domination shows he is a superstar in the making.

Let’s hope we see a lot more of Daniel soaked in champagne atop the podium in 2015 and beyond.

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2014 Belgian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Belgian Grand Prix

We could get used to watching Daniel Ricciardo winning Formula 1 Grands Prix. What about you?

With his Belgian Grand Prix victory Daniel has made it two wins in a row, for a career total of three race wins. Mark Webber had nine wins and Sebastian Vettel a very handy 39 wins (one with Toro Rosso).

Those of you quick on your sums will have worked out Red Bull Racing now has 50 grands prix wins in total. Let’s hope Daniel keeps on closing the gap to Sebastian, even if it is a massive mountain to climb.

Oh yeah, there’s a stack of pics for you after the break, too!

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2014 Hungarian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

Determination, courage, pride and, most of all, talent; Daniel Ricciardo has them all. His results so far in 2014 have exceeded expectations and let’s hope that continues for some time yet.

You can relive Daniel’s victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix below. There’s over 100 photos on offer and some of them even feature subjects other than Daniel and his winning celebrations!

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Ferrari Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

Daniel Ricciardo wins 2014 Hungarian GP

2014 Hungarian Grand Prix

What the hell just happened? I’ll tell you what happened, Daniel Ricciardo just won the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix! That’s what just happened.

Proving the Murray Walkerism that “Anything can happen in Formula 1, and it usually does” Fernando Alonso finished second and Lewis Hamilton, who started from the pit lane, finished third. So, again, what the hell just happened!

The track was wet for the race start and all the drivers started on intermediates. Nico Rosberg made a clean getaway and went about opening up a sizeable gap to those behind. Valtteri Bottas showed some smarts off the line and overtook Sebastian Vettel at the first corner to claim P2.

Daniel lost a couple of places at the start and was in P6 but worked his way back to P5. Marcus Ericsson then had his most influential F1 race to date after he binned his car and invited the Safety Car onto the track.

The timing was such that Daniel was able to quickly dive into the pits for slick tyres while the first four cars had to do almost a complete lap behind the Safety Car. The wash up of all that saw a fortunate Daniel inherit the race lead.

After the Safety Car came in, off he went. The lead was lost briefly to Jenson Button, who was running intermediates on the still drying track, but that didn’t last and Dan reclaimed the lead which he held until lap 22.

Sergio Perez spun on the last corner and smashed his car into the pit wall, which brought out the Safety Car for a second time. Again, Ricciardo was quick to pit, a move which eventually worked to his benefit.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was able to make solid progress through the field despite starting from pit lane and then spinning off the track momentarily on lap 2. By the end of the first Safety Car period he had risen to P7, only two places behind Rosberg.

Amazingly, as the race progressed it looked as though Hamilton could be in with a chance of victory. Fernando Alonso, too, was having a good run and inherited the lead of the race after Ricciardo came in for fresh tyres with 15 laps to go.

Daniel rejoined the race in good shape and set about chasing those ahead of him including Alonso, Hamilton and Rosberg. Alonso’s strategy required him to do 32 laps in his final stint and Hamilton, too, was on old tyres. Rosberg also came in for a pit stop, gifting P3 to Daniel, before he also started chasing the leading trio.

Alonso was able to hold Hamilton and Ricciardo at bay with clean defensive driving. However, his pace was slowing as his tyres lost more life and this closed the gap to little more than a second back to Ricciardo in P3. On newer tyres Daniel needed a couple of attempts to get past Hamilton for P2, but showed great racecraft to out manouevre his more experienced rival. He quickly caught Alonso and used DRS to great effect to maximise a half chance and take the lead.

With only three laps to go Ricciardo was able to build a safe margin, leaving Alonso to defend against Hamilton and a super quick Rosberg. Somehow the superior Mercedes pair could not do what Daniel did and overtake Alonso. The race settled with a totally unpredictable first three and Rosberg left to rue his chances in P4.

Felipe Massa was fifth ahead of Kimi Raikkonen (his best result since returning to Ferrari). Sebastian Vettel was seventh and had only himself to blame after a final corner spin on lap 32. He was lucky not to have crashed out but did sufficient damage to his tyres to ruin his chances of a better result.

Valtteri Bottas’ day was cruelled by unfortunate pit timing and he could only manage P8. While Jean-Eric Vergne and Jenson Button rounded out the top 10.

His second grand prix win seemed to sit better with a beaming Daniel Ricciardo, who showed he has no fear or talent deficit with the world champions he’s mixing it with. It’s a great result for the young Aussie as the teams go into the mid-season break before racing returns at Spa in late August.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Renault

My name is Christian and I am not amused

Christian Horner

After one of his team’s most lack lustre grands prix in some time Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner made it clear where he thinks the blame rests for the under performing RB10.

Horner is clearly unhappy with the reliability of the Renault power unit. “It’s frustrating that we’re in the situation that we are,” he said, speaking to Autosport.

“We’ve won all the races and all the championships that we’ve achieved with Renault power. But the situation just isn’t improving at the moment.

“The reliability is unacceptable. The performance is unacceptable. There needs to be change at Renault. It can’t continue like this. It’s not good for Renault and it’s not good for Red Bull.

“We need to work together as partners. There will not be another engine in the back of the car next year, but we want to be competitive and we want to run at the front.”

For their part, Renault isn’t shying away from its responsibilities.

“The anxiety that Christian feels, and the frustration he feels after a result that is not at the full potential of the performance of car and power unit, is completely understandable and shared by us,” acknowledged Renault deputy managing director Rob White.

“But we are completely committed to making progress as fast as we possibly can and I think we have shown signs of progress before now. This is a process that is completely shared with Red Bull, and the objectives are known and understood.”

[Source: Autosport | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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2014 Canadian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Canadian Grand Prix

DAN IS THE MAN!

It’s always special when we can bring you a pictorial update of an Aussie winning a Formula 1 Grand Prix. It’s been a while between drinks, but let’s hope we see a lot more of young Daniel on the top step.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

2014 Canadian GP: Post-race press conference

2014 Canadian Grand Prix

Hey, guess what Australia, Daniel Ricciardo just won the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix! His first ever F1 victory—how cool is that.

Here’s what he said after being asked what it was like to join the small but elite club of Australian drivers who have won a grand prix:

Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s still sinking in a bit. I’m just really pleased that I was able to – as I said – to really capitalise today on the opportunity. I could see it in front, when Nico was there and Perez was in between us. I was – like – if we can just get Perez, I think we’ll be able to make a charge on Nico. Really pleased. Yeah. It’s going to take a little bit to sink in but OK, so very proud, great to hear the Aussie anthem. It’s been a few years since I won a race, I think 2011, Monaco in World Series or something, so like three years, it’s a long time, standing on a top step. It’s a feeling I missed a lot.

You can read a lot more from Daniel, as well as Nico and Sebastian, after the break.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Video

Red Bull’s A to Z of Formula 1

Daniel Ricciardo

Over the last couple of weeks Red Bull Racing has been releasing a series of short videos explaining the A to Z of Formula 1. The final clip was recently published and we’ve assembled all six parts here for you in one place. You’re not really going to learn too many secrets, but there’s worse ways to spend the next 15 minutes or so.

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Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Renault

Red Bull threatens to throw French toys from cot

2014 Malaysian Grand Prix

We’re just two races into the 2014 F1 season and already it’s clear that the Renault V6 power unit is the third of the three engine options available. And when you’ve got four constructors’ championship behind you you’re used to being the best. Right now Red Bull is not happy with its lot in this new V6 power unit era.

Predictably, then, Helmut Marko is throwing his weight around demanding Renault lifts its game, or else!

“If there is no noticeable improvement in two or three months, we will definitely be talking about an alternative,” Marko revealed in an interview with German publication Bild.

At this stage that’s a clear nod towards the Mercedes-Benz PU 106 A Hybrid which has so far proved to be the weapon of choice in 2014.

In order to try and fast track Renault’s work on its V6 power unit Red Bull has sent a representative each from Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso inside the French manufacturer’s F1 factory at Viry.

Red Bull has been using Renault engines since 2007.

[Source: The F1 Times | Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2014 Malaysian Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Malaysian Grand Prix

Can you believe it’s over 58 years since we saw a Mercedes driver on steps one and two of a Formula 1 podium, that was at the final race of the 1955 season, the Italian Grand Prix.

Back in 1955 Mercedes won 70% of the races in the season and Juan Manuel Fangio won the third of his five world championships. The mighty W196 silver arrow was powered by 2.5 litre straight eight producing 220kW at 8500rpm.

Now, some 21,386 days after the last Mercedes 1-2, the podium feat has been repeated. Not at a legendary racetrack in Europe, but in Malaysia. Using a 1.6 litre turbocharged V6 engine mated to an arsenal of energy recovery systems that would make Fangio’s head spin. That’s if he knew what the hell it all meant in the first place.

At least we know Juan Manuel would have loved logging into AUSmotive to relive the race in pictorial form. And that’s what you can do after the break as well.

“What’s that Juan; how can you see all these photos?”

“It’s called the internet.”

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Formula 1 McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

Nico Rosberg wins 2014 Australian GP

Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG

As I write this belated race report take your mind back to a time where all fuel flow monitors were created equal…

Nico Rosberg cruised to a dominant victory in Melbourne to start what could be a dominant year for the Mercedes AMG team. And yet the headline story is the second place finish by Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo who became the first local to stand on the podium in his home race.

Also deserving of huge plaudits is Kevin Magnussen who earned his spot on the podium with a flaweless debut in his Mercedes-powered McLaren.

Jenson Button had to be content with fourth place and watching his junior teammate steal the limelight. You sense after the season Button and McLaren endured in 2013 both will be over the moon with these results.

Fernando Alonso went quietly about his business and finished fifth. On current form it will be a surprise to see Ferrari win a race in 2014, yet they will be there or thereabouts. They came close in 2009 of course, but can they again build a car commensurate with Alonso’s undoubted talent and guile?

On any other day Valtteri Bottas would be attracting plenty of attention. The young Finn, in only his second season, drove like a man possessed to grab sixth place. His inexperience was on show when he clipped the wall and broke a wheel—and luckily nothing else—but he was able to recover from that, and a five place grid penalty for a pre-race gearbox change, to earn himself some very handy championship points. Without his error he would have found himself fighting for position with two world champions. Not bad after starting from P15.

Elsewhere Daniil Kvyat was another debutant to do well, crossing the line in tenth place for Toro Rosso. He was unable to upset his teammate, though, and Jean-Eric Vergne finished one place ahead in a pleasing result for the junior Red Bull outift. Renault will also be pleased to see three of its cars in the top 10, given four failed to finish (three due to mechanical issues).

Kamui Kobayashi’s return to F1 with Caterham lasted one corner and he took the Williams of Felipe Massa into the gravel with him.

After the race the crowd went wild for Dan Ricciardo as he accepted his trophy for second place. It was a great moment for F1 and motorsport in Australia.

And now is the moment we have to remind you all that Ricciardo’s podium moment in the setting sun was taken away from him by the FIA late in the night after declaring his car had “exceeded consistently the maximum fuel flow of 100kg/h”.

Our Daniel was disqualified and all other drivers move up one position. Ricciardo and Red Bull have no world championship points.

Red Bull have said they will appeal the FIA’s decision and were it not for the fact that the FIA spoke to Red Bull during the race to warn them that Daniel’s car was in breach of the regulations and to fix the problem we might think they were half a chance to have Daniel’s P2 reinstated.

Red Bull will claim they were just doing what they needed to do to remain competetive in spite of (what they will say is) a dodgy fuel flow monitor and that they didn’t actually break any rules.

We don’t expect there will be any joy for Daniel and his team.

If nothing else we do know that the RB10 can go the full race distance and, more tellingly perhaps, that Daniel has the pace to mix it with the best, including the four-time world champ on the other side of the garage.

That gives us hope that someone may be able to challenge Mercedes at some stage during 2014.

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Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing

2014 Australian GP: Qualifying report

2014 Australian Grand Prix

Well, what a great result the first qualifying session of Formula 1’s new world order delivered yesterday. Seeing our Daniel on the front row is the headline story here in Australia. The smiling West Australian deserves the accolades too, after he put in a masterful performance in all three quali sessions.

Lewis Hamilton’s experience and guile pipped Daniel for pole with the last lap of the session and closed the book on what would hve been an epic fairy tale debut for Ricciardo with Red Bull. It’s hard to deny Hamilton’s effort and he too attracted sentiment by equalling the pole position record of British great Nigel Mansell, with his 32nd P1 start.

It was no surprise to see Nico Rosberg round out the top three, although you get the feeling he may be a little surprised to miss out on the front row to a Red Bull, following the latter’s dreadful pre-season form.

Indeed, qualifying delivered big stories right down the grid, thanks in part to wet and windy conditions in Q2 and Q3. Almost overshadowing Ricciardo’s P2 result is the outstanding debut from McLaren’s rookie Kevin Magnussen who qualified on the second row for his maiden grand prix.

Also overdelivering on expectations were thw Toro Rosso drivers, Jean-Eric Vergne qualified in sixth, while teammate Daniil Kvyat will start his first race from P8. We suspect Renault, too, will be happy to see three of its cars in the top 10.

There were huge stories in who missed out on a chance at pole position, as well. Three world champions failed to make it into Q3 and a huge roar went out around the track when Sebastian Vettel missed the final cut. The world champ will start from P12, behind his championship alumni in Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen.

The woes of Lotus continue with Pastor Maldonado failing to record a lap time. As a former grand prix winner you suspect the stewards will use their discretion to give him the green light to race.

Grid penalties have sent Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez further down the field than they would like and you can see the full starting grid after the break, along with the full press conference transcript.

We liked this question asked to Daniel Ricciardo:

(Mat Coch – pitpass.com) Daniel, a question close to every Australian’s heart: what are you like at starts?
DR: Let’s see how we go tomorrow! Bit up and down last year. I guess everyone watched the races. I think they were on the up so let’s see how we go tomorrow. I think it’s going to be interesting for everyone now, with the V6 turbos. I think it’s also a bit of a different animal off the line. Hopefully we get off well.

[Pics: Red Bull/Getty Images]