Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo may be disappointed that the 2016 Formula One season is over after finishing third in the drivers' championship, the highest ever position he has achieved during his F1 career, but he is eagerly looking forward to returning to his training regime and getting ready for the 2017 season.
This isn't just any off season with changes to the regulations meaning the care will be totally different next year, and something that every team and driver in the paddock will need to come to grips with. Wider tyres are just the start with changes set to made to the car's front wings increasing downforce, making the drivers job even harder than it normally is.
“I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the training because of the rule changes next year and that the cars are going to be a fair bit quicker in the corners,” the Aussie wrote in a column for his team. “We'll have to change some things up in the preparation, and the in-season training will change too, in the past few years we've concentrated on things like trimming weight and keeping kilos off, and the training itself isn't that challenging.”
“Next year will be different. Being able to put on some strength and muscle will be more challenging and more rewarding, so I'm up for that. I'm all for making it harder! Time to unlock the hidden Honey Badger.”
Although Mercedes has dominated the sport in the past few years, the new regulations should shake the field up a bit and possibly see Daniel on th top step of the rostrum a little more often.
