gareth_oau
15-09-2009, 11:54 AM
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/ricciardo-claims-f3-crown-eyes-f1-start-20090914-fmnz.html
Ricciardo claims F3 crown, eyes F1 start
September 14, 2009
Twenty-year-old Daniel Ricciardo's chances of becoming Australia's next Formula One driver have jumped up a gear after he clinched the British Formula Three Championship with two races to spare.
The Perth racer took maximum points in the first race of the weekend's round at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal and claimed fourth place in race two - enough to lift the championship crown.
Ricciardo's six race wins this year are one more than last year's British F3 champion, Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari, who is now racing in F1 with Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Ricciardo's sights are firmly on F1 too, although he admits it may be another year or more before he gets his chance on the grand prix grid.
However, winning the prestigious British F3 title almost certainly assures him of an F1 test before Christmas for the Red Bull team for which fellow Australian Mark Webber races.
Ricciardo is already among eight rising stars in a Red Bull driver development program that produced Webber's teammate Sebastian Vettel, the German who won three GPs before he turned 22.
He joins an illustrious list of British F3 champions that includes his idol Ayrton Senna, other Brazilian world champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet Senior, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Mika Hakkinen and Rubens Barrichello.
Ricciardo is the fourth Australian to have won the title and the three before him - Tim Schenken (1968), Dave Walker (1970 and 71) and David Brabham (1989) all made it to F1.
Competing against 28 other aspiring F1 drivers from around the world at Algarve, Ricciardo had to control a mishandling car because of a broken front wing from a tangle with Frenchman Jules Bianchi on the opening lap of the race in which he sealed the title.
"This is everything I've wanted since the start of the season," Ricciardo said.
"For it to come around a bit early (with two races to go next weekend at Brands Hatch) makes it a bit sweeter.
"We had some bad rounds - Rockingham (in England) and Hockenheim (in Germany) weren't the best for us.
"But we never lost faith, kept believing and working hard for it.
"It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I've won the championship, but I'm sure that by the end of the night I'll realise it and party hard.
"If I can now follow in Jaime Alguersuari's footsteps that would be great.
"I'm not saying I'll be in F1 next year, but I'd like to be there in the near future.
"That's my dream."
Ricciardo claims F3 crown, eyes F1 start
September 14, 2009
Twenty-year-old Daniel Ricciardo's chances of becoming Australia's next Formula One driver have jumped up a gear after he clinched the British Formula Three Championship with two races to spare.
The Perth racer took maximum points in the first race of the weekend's round at the new Algarve circuit in Portugal and claimed fourth place in race two - enough to lift the championship crown.
Ricciardo's six race wins this year are one more than last year's British F3 champion, Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari, who is now racing in F1 with Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Ricciardo's sights are firmly on F1 too, although he admits it may be another year or more before he gets his chance on the grand prix grid.
However, winning the prestigious British F3 title almost certainly assures him of an F1 test before Christmas for the Red Bull team for which fellow Australian Mark Webber races.
Ricciardo is already among eight rising stars in a Red Bull driver development program that produced Webber's teammate Sebastian Vettel, the German who won three GPs before he turned 22.
He joins an illustrious list of British F3 champions that includes his idol Ayrton Senna, other Brazilian world champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Nelson Piquet Senior, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jim Clark, Mika Hakkinen and Rubens Barrichello.
Ricciardo is the fourth Australian to have won the title and the three before him - Tim Schenken (1968), Dave Walker (1970 and 71) and David Brabham (1989) all made it to F1.
Competing against 28 other aspiring F1 drivers from around the world at Algarve, Ricciardo had to control a mishandling car because of a broken front wing from a tangle with Frenchman Jules Bianchi on the opening lap of the race in which he sealed the title.
"This is everything I've wanted since the start of the season," Ricciardo said.
"For it to come around a bit early (with two races to go next weekend at Brands Hatch) makes it a bit sweeter.
"We had some bad rounds - Rockingham (in England) and Hockenheim (in Germany) weren't the best for us.
"But we never lost faith, kept believing and working hard for it.
"It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I've won the championship, but I'm sure that by the end of the night I'll realise it and party hard.
"If I can now follow in Jaime Alguersuari's footsteps that would be great.
"I'm not saying I'll be in F1 next year, but I'd like to be there in the near future.
"That's my dream."