Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul insists Daniel Ricciardo was not given a misguided vision of the team’s future in Formula 1.
Looking for a new environment away from Red Bull, the Australian was attracted to the challenge of helping the French manufacturer rebuild into a championship-contending team.
However, his first six races have fallen well short of even the more modest expectations with only two points finishes and three retirements.
“It’s a journey, it’s a road map, and we need to have the humility to accept that it takes time to build a winning team,” Abiteboul told Sky Sports.
“That’s exactly what we are doing and that’s exactly what we explained to Daniel last year when he decided to join us.
“We were not trying to sell something that would not happen, and I think that was our honesty that paid.”
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Despite the lack of standout results, the Renault chief also claimed some had seen a change in Ricciardo.
“People that knew him from before think that it’s a different Daniel. Maybe he’s not in a position to win races, but there is more than that also in life,” he said.
“He is happy and I’m really sure that by being happy and natural he can carry to the team to a different level because ultimately, he’s a driver who wants to win races and that’s our duty to him.”
The Enstone-based outfit is hoping a big upgrade planned for Paul Ricard can signal a turnaround in their season and the 29-year-old is among those talking the team up.
“There is some substance behind that, there is some data to support that and it should be the case in some aspects,” he claimed of the upcoming improvements.
“But at the same time, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, like, after China qualifying seventh and eighth and saying ‘this is it, this is where we are and we chip away from here’.
“It hasn’t been that easy since then, but the reality is that this year it is tighter in that midfield to what Renault experienced last year.
“A lot of teams have stepped up, so I think we can start to not run with them but hopefully get ahead of them.
“The reality is that it is not going to be as easy as last year and it will take a bit of time, but I think it is showing a bit more direction now, which is positive.”
