admin Daniel Ricciardo, F1 driver foe Renault will take a pay cut to help Renault through the coronavirus pandemic also informs about his future is already complicated, according to his Formula One team boss Cyril Abiteboul.
The Australian is one of the sport’s topmost paid drivers, earning nearby $25 million a year according to media reports.
Abiteboul informed French newspaper L’Equipethat Ricciardo’s salary would not be a establishing factor after the French carmaker furloughed most of their F1 personnel at the Enstone factory in central England.
“It’s a discussion we’ve already had. Daniel has already confirmed he is willing…I can confirm to you that he will reduce it,” stated the Frenchman.
Asked if the 30-year-old’s wages could create an image problem, Abiteboul reacted: “The problem would have been if he had not accepted the idea.
“We still have to fix the terms but, in principle, I can reassure the Renault group management committee; I do not fear it will destabilise the F1 program.”
Ricciardo joined Renault from Red Bull in 2019 with a contract that runs to the end of this year.
“In a normal season, we would have started work on the matter,” stated Abiteboul. “We would have evaluated Daniel’s performance over the first four races and started or not the first discussions.
“We haven’t turned a wheel. We are blind but have to plan,” he said. “We may have to take decisions without the season starting.”
Asked if it was a problem if Ricciardo left, the Frenchman said: “It would be if I had not seen it coming or anticipated it. That’s why we are having discussions and have a driver academy.”
Formula One’s season-opening race in Melbourne on March 15 was cancelled with the Monaco Grand Prix also subsequently axed. Seven other races have been rescheduled and more are expected to join the queue for rescheduling.
Formula One has informed it hopes to run a reduced calendar of 15-18 races from the European summer.
Magazine 
