Daniel Ricciardo, who looks set to partner the Formula One world champion, Sebastian Vettel, at Red Bull from next season. Photo: Peter Steffen / EPA
If speculation around the globe is correct, it will be announced at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend that Mark Webber will be replaced at Red Bull next year by Daniel Ricciardo.
One of the world’s most respected authorities on Formula One, the German Sport Bild online, reported that the West Australian youngster will replace Webber, and will be officially presented as Red Bull’s new driver at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Unless this year’s world championship takes a sudden turn, it would appear as if Webber will retire from F1 without winning a world title, but he did win nine grands prix, finish on the podium 37 times, take 11 pole positions and record 17 fastest laps, at the same time giving many a fan back home in Australia an immense amount of enjoyment as they followed his fortunes.
One can only feel for Webber, as he didn’t have the same opportunities as drivers like Ricciardo, Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and many others who were signed as juniors at a very young age, most straight from karts, and grew up with their respective teams.
Our Mark was 24 before he got his first taste of F1, that in a test with Arrows, and 26 before he had signed with a Formula One team, the perennial back-markers Minardi at that, and then had to work through other lowly performing teams before joining Red Bull.
Ricciardo, on the other hand, started in Europe at 17, and became a Red Bull Junior at 19, enjoying their support through various categories up until he joined Toro Rosso as a full-time driver in 2012. Now, at 24, he has the world before him as he joins the world’s champion team. – Western Advocate
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