Daniel Ricciardo. Photo / Getty Images
Australian Daniel Ricciardo sent an unmistakable message as he blitzed world F1 champion Sebastian Vettel's Abu Dhabi grand prix pole time in testing.
Now the Perth youngster can only wait as Red Bull motorsport supremo Helmut Marko decides his immediate racing future.
Red Bull test driver Ricciardo finished two days
of F1 testing as easily the fastest of the 14 potential grand prix drivers on show.
The 21-year-old lapped Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit on Wednesday 1.3 seconds faster than Red Bull's Vettel did in taking pole position for last weekend's season-ending GP where he became F1`s youngest world champion at 23.
Driving the Red Bull RB6 car that Mark Webber drove in that race, Ricciardo was more than 1.8 seconds quicker than his countryman was last weekend.
F1 experts estimated the track was running about 1.5 seconds faster than on the weekend, with more traction as much more rubber had been laid on the racing line from the F1 aspirants circulating over the two days.
Ricciardo was 0.7 seconds faster than the next best driver in testing, Belgian Jerome D'Ambrosio in a Renault.
However he knows he may have to do one more year in a junior category as Red Bull Racing has Vettel and Webber contracted again next season, and smaller sister team Toro Rosso has committed to Swiss driver Sebastien Buemi and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari.
"I had the most amazing time in the car," Ricciardo said.
"The team seemed very pleased, which is really nice for me and I got on so well with everyone over the two days.
"It's an amazing experience to work with so many people who are all focused on one car - it is such a professional team effort.
"I'm not sure what this test will mean for next year, but I know even more now that this is where I want to be.
"Whether I might be in F1 next year or the following, I will do everything to make sure it happens - and I think this test has probably helped me.
"I feel like I've had a really eventful season (runner-up in the World Series by Renault and F1 reserve driver for Red Bull) and now with the F1 test over I can step back a bit - I've done what I can.
"It's been an amazing experience and I hope I can repeat it again soon."
- AAP
