Ricciardo tips Rosberg for F1 title
Send a link to a friend
[September 23, 2016]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Australian Daniel
Ricciardo has spoken of the awkward pre-podium silences between
Mercedes team mates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, while tipping
the latter for the season's Formula One title.
The smiling Red Bull driver finished second in Singapore last
weekend, with Rosberg winning and triple champion Hamilton third.
The result sent Rosberg back on top in the championship, the German
now eight points clear of Hamilton with six rounds remaining.
"When Lewis made up that deficit to Nico and came back it was like
OK, nobody's going to touch Lewis," he told Sky Sports television
during a trip to Australia ahead of next week's Malaysian race.
"Nico's come back... I'm going to throw a spanner in the works and
say Rosberg," he added when asked to pick one of the pair for the
title.
Rosberg has won eight races to Hamilton's six this year, including
the three since the August break just when it looked like the Briton
had the momentum.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/23/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif)
"The best part is if you get on the podium with them two, in the
room before we go out on the podium just after the race, you take
the helmet off and it's awkward for me because it's just so silent,"
said Ricciardo.
"I don't like silence too much, so I'm like trying to either talk to
myself or make conversation with them but they are just happy
enjoying the awkward silence. It's quite fun."
Hamilton and Rosberg have battled for the title for the last three
years, their relationship going through the occasional frosty patch,
and this season the competition is closer than ever between the two.
[to top of second column] |
![](../images/092316pics/sports65.jpg)
Mercedes' driver Nico Rosberg of Germany (C) and Red Bull's driver
Daniel Ricciardo of Australia celebrate finishing their qualifying
session. REUTERS/Edgar Su
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/23/images/ads/current/st_claras_lda_082114.png)
When Hamilton won his third title in Texas last year, he tossed a
cap to Rosberg while they waited in the podium room and had it slung
straight back by the unhappy German.
Rosberg later described the incident as "just our typical games".
The pair have been on the podium together eight times in 15 races
this year. Ricciardo has joined them three times.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2016/Sep/23/images/ads/current/mks_lda_new_generic_2016.png) |