Ricciardo: Cars still dictate F1, not the drivers

Daniel Ricciardo would like to see more balance in Formula 1 and reckons Lewis Hamilton would not have won titles if he was in a midfield car.

New aerodynamic regulations were introduced in 2017 and while drivers are happy with the initial results of the changes, Ricciardo feels that driver talent is still not a big enough factor in Formula 1.

“Lewis [Hamilton] has won three of the last four championships, but if he was in a midfield team, he wouldn’t have three of the last four championships,” Ricciardo said.

“The car is a big part of it, but you need to be a good driver to get the equipment to the top. You need both. It’s still a bit more dominant with the car than the driver I’d say maybe 75 percent to 25 percent.

“If we make it a bit more equal by bringing the driver in a bit more and taking the equipment out, then that would be better.

“A 50/50 would be something more realistic in the near future, and hopefully that’s the case.

“Even from Lewis to the guy that’s coming last, maybe the lap time says 3.0s, but the driver is maximum 1.0s.

“We are all a lot closer than that, and it would be great if we could all stay within 1.0s with the equipment because then the racing would be pretty fun.”

Ricciardo is continuing to weigh up his options as he enters into the final 12 months of his Red Bull contract and has been linked with a move to either Mercedes or Ferrari.