Ricciardo 'will have F1 car by 2012'
Perth will have its first Formula One driver within a year with Red Bull's leading motorsport adviser saying young gun Daniel Ricciardo would have a full-time driving seat by 2012.
Dr Helmut Marko told website motorsport-total.com that his plan was to have the 21-year-old West Australian in a full race seat by next year.
Red Bull-backed Ricciardo has already been appointed reserve driver for sister team Toro Rosso in 2011 under a revamped role where he'll drive in the Friday practice sessions at each grand prix.
The appointment has placed extra heat on Toro Rosso's regular drivers, Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari.
Marko also did not rule out a 2011 debut for Ricciardo in the strongest indication yet of the Perth racer's bright future.
"It all depends on the parties involved," Marko said. "The plan is to see him in a race cockpit in 2012 at the latest."
The admission comes just days after Ricciardo received a major public endorsement from one of the sport's most respected figures.
F1 team owner Sir Frank Williams, whose team has had the world champion driver seven times, predicted the youngster would be the sport's next star as part of a poll conducted by global news service ESPN.
Ricciardo is with family in Perth this week and was unaware of Marko's comments, but said he had no intention of backing off in his quest for an F1 seat.
"I can't really rest on that, that I'll be in (F1) next year," he said. "If I have a bad year this year, I'm sure he'll change his mind.
"I'm always excited to start a season. I'm sure once Bahrain comes around it'll be quite a good feeling coming through me. Just getting out with all the guys I've been watching race for the last 10 years is going to be quite cool."
Ricciardo has been told he will be involved in three pre-season F1 test sessions over the next six weeks before the season's first race on March 13 in Bahrain.
"I'm not sure what testing I'll be doing," Ricciardo said.
"They've told me, the Toro Rosso guys, that I'll be in the car for testing before Bahrain. I'm definitely driving in Bahrain on the Friday.
"It would be nice to be a bit more comfortable in the car and not have to be looking in the mirrors every corner."
His F1 duties will be combined with a second season in the World Series by Renault, where Ricciardo will attempt to better his runner-up finish from last year after switching from French team Tech 1 to ISR.
The Renault season starts in Spain in mid-April.
