Aussie F1 rookie on his debut

Young Aussie Daniel Ricciardo has his F1 race debut this weekend at Silverstone. He's alert but not alarmed

Rookie Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has spoken about his imminent F1 race debut in the official FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) press conference overnight ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix, in which fellow Australian Mark Webber is the defending winner.

The 22-year-old Ricciardo, from Duncraig in Perth, is a product of Red Bull's junior development squad but is making his F1 race debut at Silverstone with Spanish-owned team Hispania Racing Team (HRT).

To date this season Ricciardo has driven in Friday morning practice sessions for the Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso team and remains the reserve driver for both world champion team Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso.

Here's what he said overnight...

Daniel, what a birthday present. July 1 was your birthday and that was pretty much the day you were announced a Formula One driver full-time.

Daniel RICCIARDO: Yeah, it was quite a nice birthday present for me. It was quite a big surprise. I didn't expect to be racing Formula One this year so it's a huge opportunity for me and still a bit of a shock. But I am sure it will all be realised come Sunday.

You must have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Silverstone. The last time we saw you here you ended up on your head, having flipped at the start of the World Series by Renault race, last September

DR: Yeah, some mixed emotions here but generally I have gone well and it is one of the circuits I enjoy. I had one of my greatest races here back in 2008, with the Formula Renault, so it's been good to me and it is quite close to my second home in England. I am able to sleep in my own bed this weekend, which is nice. [I'm] Just looking forward to going out there and trying to do a good job.

What is your aim [for the race]. Obviously the HRT isn't exactly known as a frontrunner. Does that worry you? Is your only real rival Tonio Liuzzi, your teammate?

DR: It doesn't worry me at all. As I said it is a huge opportunity to get a chance to race in Formula One. It is something I have dreamed of since I was a boy.

For the race I think the first aim is to try to finish and just get the miles under my belt and the experience at this level of my career. That's the most important thing. Never done a race this long so physically and mentally to find out where I am, I think that is going to be good. If I can try and be competitive compared to Tonio... He is very experienced, and I am sure I can learn something from him so we will see how I go.


QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
(Dan Knutson, National Speedsport News, to Ruben Barrichello) Rubens, you've done over 300 of these things [F1 races]. What sort of advice would you give Daniel, not only for the race but for his first race weekend?

RB: Well, I think that first of all you have to see what your car's like and obviously it will be very different to the one you were driving, by the looks of it. So just pace yourself because there's a lot of high speed here. Knowing the circuit a lot, get a good balance, the tyres are going to degrade a lot. Just have fun, forget you're doing Formula One, just do the same as you've done in the other races.

 (Dan Knutson, National Speedsport News) And Daniel, you said that this will be the longest race you have ever done. Have you upped your training for this, or do you think you're ready for it?

DR: I've been travelling a lot, now doing both championships so I can only do so much with the training at this stage but I think the race fitness is pretty good because I've done quite a bit of racing this year. So yeah, we will see how we go on Sunday but I feel ready for it.

I've got an idea, being the reserve for Red Bull Racing last year and seeing how the boys handle the race weekend, Mark [Webber] and Seb [Vettel], and knowing what they do or knowing a little bit what they do outside of race weekends [so] I'm able to build up a bit of a program for myself.

I've only known a week ago that this was going to come; I can't change the world in a week. I'd been preparing for it for a little while just in case I got the call, which I have. I'm sure I'm going to be all right.

(Mike Doodson, grandprix.com) Daniel, some of us find it intriguing that your name is written one way and you pronounce it another way. Have you considered going back to pronouncing it the way that generations of Ricciardos presumably did in the old country? After all, it could be an important factor when Ferrari comes knocking on your door in a few years time.

DR: An interesting question. I guess that growing up in Australia, coming from an English speaking country, to try and get people to say it as the Italians would, to roll the R and give it the expression, it doesn't really come out the same way. I will always be known as saying 'Riccardo' and you sort of cross out the second i. In Italy, as my father is Sicilian, they will say Ricciardo or however an Italian would say it, probably. So yeah, I say Riccardo because it's a bit easier for most people. That's how it was but I guess the Italians are more than welcome to say it how it probably is meant to be said. (Ri-chardo).

(Kate Walker, Girlracer) Daniel, in the run-up to this Grand Prix, HRT team manager Colin [Kolles] has made some comments about the car not really suiting the track. Are you concerned that your F1 debut might not really happen this weekend, due to the 107 per cent rule?

DR: I haven't thought about that at all. I hope I'm more than capable of qualifying in that percentage. I don't fear it will be a problem.

It's my first time in the car and I do expect it will be different to what I've driven before. I don't expect it to be the Red Bull that I drove in Abu Dhabi for the junior tests. Tonio's done a good job this year and he's qualified all the time so if he's able to qualify then I hope I can too. It hasn't even crossed my mind.

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