SUMMARY
- Daniel Ricciardo supports Visa Cash App RB's rebranding in order to respect for sponsors' contributions to the team's success.
- Despite initial fan disappointment, Ricciardo remains loyal to the team.
Alpha Tauri has relaunched itself as Visa Cash App RB for the brand new 2024 season and Daniel Ricciardo seems to be in favor of it. While VCARB failed to resonate with fans from the start, Ricciardo remains loyal to the team that offered him a second chance in F1. As the recent developments took place, fans were highly disappointed with the name for several reasons.
Media outlets have already used various names for this team, which the Australian driver finds disrespectful to their main sponsor. The Faenza-based team has undergone a complete rebranding, with changes in staff, sponsors, and consequently, its name. However, fans have pointed out that the new title disregarded their preference to revert to Toro Rosso, a name reflecting both its Red Bull and Italian heritage.
Daniel Ricciardo welcomes VCARB’s new identity
Ricciardo, who substituted for Nyck de Vries last season, believes the team should be addressed by its full name out of respect for its sponsors. According to the driver, “I know when people say, ‘Oh, what, what kind of name is that?’ And I think people also have to remember that Visa Cash App RB is helping us go racing. All of our sponsors are. And this is part of us getting performance on the car developments.”
We are struggling with the name? We don’t know what to use?
Daniel Ricciardo: I know when people say, oh, what kind of name is that? And I think people also have to remember that, you know, Visa and CashApp, they are helping us go racing. You know, all of our sponsors are. pic.twitter.com/CquPLWIKSa
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) February 24, 2024
The 34-year-old further added, “And so without partners like this, then maybe we don’t have the performance and the success that we do. So it’s only fair that at least I call them Visa Cash App RB. I know some people, it might feel a little long, but I will call them that, so it’s up to you.” Ricciardo rightfully acknowledges the daunting task of pronouncing the team’s name in its entirety.
Nevertheless, he stays dedicated to this gesture as a sign of respect for those contributing valuable capital to the team.
Former Red Bull driver exposes VCARB’s sandbagging strategy
With the reputation Red Bull has gained over the last campaign, the chatter heated up with Visa Cash App RB’s announcement of closer ties with the sister team. As predicted by Helmut Marko last summer, much of the operation shifted from Italy to a Banbury base over the holiday season. Moreover, the revamped team is adopting a new strategy of incorporating components from Red Bull.
Daniel Ricciardo driving the VCARB 01 during Visa Cash App RB F1 Team Filming Day, at Misano. pic.twitter.com/cWOUjOoHbf
— Ricciardo Photos | Fansite (@ricciardophotos) February 20, 2024
Daniel Ricciardo elaborates that their commitment to improvement is quite apparent. He said, “It’s a continuation of last year. Obviously from the outside, it’s very different, everything. But inside the car, it’s really an evolution of Abu Dhabi.” The upgrades reflected on their latest performance as Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo 11th and 14th respectively with minimal performance gap.
Reflecting on past seasons, where Tsunoda’s promising pre-season times did not translate to race performance, the team remains cautiously optimistic.