Ricciardo bewildered by 'incredible' season of failures

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For Daniel Ricciardo, it's been a "complex and confusing" 2018 season in which the Red Bull driver is struggling to understand why he is the victim of so much misfortuneThe Aussie kicked off his campaign with the ambition to challenge for the title, backing up his aspirations with two race wins in China and Monaco.

Progressively however, the gremlins crept in, leaving him stranded and in the dust of his fellow front-runners, a state of affairs that only got worse, oddly, after Ricciardo announced his switch to Renault for 2019.

"I don't remember a black cat crossing my path," said Ricciardo, who punched a hole in the wall of his driver's room in Austin after his premature exit from the US Grand Prix.

"I really don't understand what is happening but I don't have the feeling that I need to change my approach.

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"At the beginning of the season I was very strong but I personally didn't change anything after Monaco.

"I've tried to understand it and become better, but it's strange that the season was divided into two parts for me. It's quite incredible actually and I don't understand how it is possible," he added.

While his 2018 season has now been written off, Ricciardo is keeping faith in the future despite moving to an employer who, quite ironically, has been responsible for much of his reliability issues this season.

The Honey Badger is expecting two years of preparation with Renault before a proper shot at the title.

"Now, starting this next journey, realistically I would say 2021, I want to be world champion that year," he told Spanish publication AS.

"I want to prove to myself and to other people that it was the right decision. I guess to prove some people wrong.

"And just grow with the team and to feel the progress, to be part of that, and to feel like their investment in me was worthwhile."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.