Video. How does Daniel Ricciardo succeed in overtaking?

The meaning of the attack Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) is unique. His victory at the Chinese Grand Prix is the perfect proof of this, with maneuvers “clinics” says Christian Horner, his Team Principal on the big guns. But actually, what makes Daniel Ricciardo's overtaking so extraordinary?

“The key is to go 100% when you want to pass someone, explains the ex-pilot to the BBC Renault F1 Jolyon Palmer. There should be no doubt nor thinking about what you are about to do. As soon as you start thinking about something else or change your mind in the middle of a turn, you'll probably end up catching your rival. This is what we saw with Max Verstappen »

Okay, but all F1 drivers act like this. Daniel Ricciardo must stand out in one area… “He makes the art of overcoming so simple!” From the outside, it doesn't show anything. He knows how far he can attempt an attack, and when he is in the right window, he remains in the slipstream and simply waits for his opponent to brake. That's when he shifts inside, at the very last moment, when it's too late to close the door. » Illustration with his supernatural attacks at the end of the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix and on Kimi Räikkönen at the first corner of Monza in 2017:

« The key for him is not to announce anything before the braking zone. When pilots move too early, it makes the task of the “defending” pilot easier; he knows what to expect. » To surprise his people a little more, Daniel Ricciardo uses a classic method, but each time it pays off: first announce yourself on the outside, lift your foot, before going back to the inside of the turn. His teammate at the time Sebastian Vettel still remembers it:

Finally, the most important characteristic of the man with six F1 victories is the feel of the brakes. The Australian delays his braking until the extreme limit to close the gap with the car in front of him. And the most impressive thing is to admire the Red Bull staying on the track and sometimes taking the lead as if nothing had happened. “It rarely locks the wheels, continues Jolyon Palmer, he uses the brakes to their maximum. His appreciation of the brakes is remarkable."

Daniel Ricciardo is not perfect, however. On rare occasions, greed can lead to contact, as with Nico Rosberg in Hungary in 2015: