The 2020 season of Formula 1 turned out to be way more impressive than assumed, with numerous circuits making their entry or returning to the sport. Recently, Daniel Ricciardo, too, acknowledged the statement by saying that his outing over this season has been “exciting.”

Speaking to Speedweek, the Australian opened up his views on why he loves the 2020 racing calendar over the others. “What appeals to me in 2020,” he said, “the changed GP calendar has meant that we will compete on many slopes that are either new to us or on which we had not skied for a long time.

“I find that exciting.”

One of the circuit that has made its way back into the racing calendar is the Istanbul Park, where the modern era F1 will be racing over the upcoming weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo looking forward to turn 8 at Istanbul Park

One of the most entertaining parts of Istanbul Park is the high-speed corner of turn 8 that demands a considerably heavy downforce. Unsurprisingly, Ricciardo sounded quite anxious as to how the high-grip F1 cars would behave on this specific part of the circuit.

“Our modern cars develop a lot more grip than the racers nine years ago,” the Renault driver said. “So I’m really looking forward to seeing how that works out on this track.”

However, Ricciardo would be looking to dominate the mid-field, considering Renault have been extremely pacy when it comes to high-speed circuits.

Hence, the entire France-based outfit will be seeking to use this weekend to their fullest advantage and extend their lead on the constructors’ table.

Ricciardo expecting tough fight from Racing Point in Turkey

Although Ricciardo is coming from a weekend where he was part of the podium celebrations, he is quite certain that Racing Point could be a threat to Renault.

“The Imola race showed once again that Sergio Perez could set a pace that just couldn’t keep up with,” he said. “We noticed that if Racing Point got the set-up right, we couldn’t quite keep up.”

Nevertheless, Renault have been good at getting the setup right for a race weekend. The luck, too, has remained by the team’s side.

Hence, could Renault maximize their opportunities yet again and secure what could be the third Podium for the team this season? Watch the race to find out.

(The quotes are translated from German using Google Translate)