Ricciardo not expecting podiums for Renault in 2019

Daniel Ricciardo is switching alliances from Red Bull to Renault for the 2019 season, but admits that podium finishes in his first season with the French team, are unlikely.

The switch, when announced, shocked the whole Formula One world.

In fact, Honda are currently quicker than Renault when it comes to their power unit, with the Japanese manufacturer helping Red Bull next season.

Ricciardo is currently monitoring both of the manufacturer's progress in terms of their power.

"We'll see (who is quicker by the time he's a Renault driver)," Ricciardo said. "Power is one thing, but there's also reliability and I think that's why Renault haven't used the updated version yet.

The Aussie is trying to stay realistic ahead of his move, saying that it could be at least a year until he can start battling Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull for the podium finishes.

"I'm a realist and I understand the chance of podiums is small," Ricciardo continued.

Red Bull are now looking to the future and have stopped Ricciardo's access to use the simulator.

"If I do badly at all the remaining five tracks, I will definitely blame the simulator," he joked.