Daniel Ricciardo will not be able to get an early taste of life after Red Bull as he is blocked from participating in the post-season tyre test in Abu Dhabi, he has revealed.
The Australian will be making the bold move from Milton Keynes to Enstone and the Renault squad for 2019 and there is precedent for drivers that are changing teams to test with their new employers at Yas Marina.
However: “I am not allowed to test,” Ricciardo admitted in Austin. “I can’t drive for Red Bull and they won’t let me drive for Renault.
“So it is okay. I can have a holiday.”
Naturally, the test of parts for the 2019 car and giving track time for Pierre Gasly means Red Bull won’t want the ‘Honey Badger’ behind the wheel of the RB14 but as for why they won’t let him go to Renault…
“He’s under contract past that date, so he won’t be doing the test,” team boss Christian Horner told Motorsport.com.
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“There was a question, ‘Is he available?’ It’s very clear that he’s not, so it’s very simple. They just asked what his availability was, and he’s not available.
“He’s still got obligations to tidy up until the end of his contract.”
It is possible the worsening and soon to be ending relationship with Renault over engines also played a part.
One swap that may come early though is Charles Leclerc and Kimi Raikkonen to Ferrari and Sauber respectively.
“We will have to discuss the point,” team principal Fred Vasseur said. “It makes sense for us, I think it make sense for everybody.
“For every single team it makes sense to have the feedback from the next driver.
“We will discuss, we are not in a rush. We can discuss in Abu Dhabi.”
