“I’ve Never Heard of a System That Talked About” – Daniel Ricciardo

Over the past couple of days, the hot topic has been Mercedes and its unique Dual Axis Steering system. Admittedly, the device has divided the paddock, with some praising Mercedes’ ingenuity and others questioning the legality. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo falls into the former category and suggested that the team’s innovation is the answer to their domination in F1.

On the second day of pre-season testing, Mercedes unveiled their new device to the world and took everyone by surprise. The way it function is that the DAS allows the driver to adjust the toe angle of the front wheels. This can only be achieved if he pushes the steering wheel forwards and backwards.

Speaking to F1 TV, Daniel Ricciardo said, “Hats off to them because they have been dominant this whole turbo era yet they are still the ones pushing everyone else.”

“It should be us and everyone else pushing them and they’re not getting complacent. And I think that’s why they’ve been so dominant.

The Australian driver noted that the Mercedes team practically set the benchmark for the rest of the grid. That is why the German team has earned his respect.

What did Daniel Ricciardo say about DAS?

Since no other team has adapted a similar system to Mercedes, the team have practically pioneered it. Even Ricciardo confessed that he was not aware of Renault or any other rivals working on any such project.

“We’ll soon find out,” he said. “I think everyone up until now – I’ve never heard of a system that talked about, so I don’t think maybe anyone had really thought about it.”

The 30-year old knows that not many in the F1 paddock have given it much serious though. However, with Mercedes striking first, a number of Formula One teams will definitely discuss it now.