F1 digest: ‘very big chance’ Daniel Ricciardo could stay at Red Bull

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen says
Ricciardo is the ‘perfect’ teammate

One-Minute Read

Ricciardo’s contract expires at the end of the season and he has
been linked with a big-money move to McLaren. Even though Ricciardo
has yet to decide where his Formula 1 future lies, Verstappen is
keen for the Australian to stay at Red Bull.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s F1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring,
Verstappen told F1.com: “The chances are very big for him to
stay. He is already here so why wouldn’t he stay? He is a great
teammate to have. We have a lot of fun together, but also once we
are in the car we are pushing each other to a higher
level. 

“I enjoy working with him. He is one of the best teammates
to have in the paddock in terms of relationship, but also one of
the toughest ones. But I like competition so it is perfect to have
him as a teammate.”

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Ricciardo has joked that his ideal
teammate would be Kimi Raikkonen or Valtteri Bottas. Ricciardo was
asked a question by a Finnish journalist.

Hamilton excited by upgrades

Lewis Hamilton says this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix
will be a close battle but he is excited to drive his upgraded
Mercedes on the Red Bull Ring.

World champion Hamilton won last week in France to open up
a 14-point lead over Sebastian Vettel at the top of the F1 drivers’
standings – and he believes the car upgrades will help Mercedes in
the title battle.

He told Sky Sports: “Up until now we’ve not really had
a lot of development parts on the car. I’ve been aware that the
guys have been working increasingly harder to try and make sure we
bring quality rather than quantity. 

“It’s great to see there are some new bits here this
weekend and I’m excited to try them on track. It will undoubtedly
help us in our battle to fight the other guys.”

Leclerc: Ferrari drive is my dream

Sauber star Charles Leclerc has revealed it’s his “dream”
to one day drive for Ferrari. He told Sky Sports: “It’s a dream for any driver to be
in this red seat and it’s a dream for me too.” It’s
rumoured that the 20-year-old is in line to replace Kimi Raikkonen
at Ferrari in 2019. 

Williams gets first pick in F1 esports
draft

The 2018 F1 Esports Pro Draft will see the Williams
team get first pick when it takes place on 9 July. Williams Esports
are one of nine F1 teams who will compete in the esports league
this year.  

The order for the 2018 F1 Esports Pro Draft first-round
picks are:

• 1 Williams Esports 
• 2 Hype Energy Eforce India 
• 3 Haas F1 
• 4 Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport 
• 5 Renault Sport Team Vitality 
• 6 Sauber 
• 7 Toro Rosso 
• 8 McLaren 
• 9 Red Bull Racing Esports