The $35 million reason behind VCARB’s reluctance to sack Daniel Ricciardo amidst disappointing 2024 start

Daniel Ricciardo's lackluster start to 2024 has raised eyebrows in the F1 paddock. However, Red Bull has continued to support the Australian driver so far.

The $35 million reason behind VCARB’s reluctance to sack Daniel Ricciardo amidst disappointing 2024 start

Daniel Ricciardo (Via: Imago)

Red Bull has been known to be ruthless in terms of handling its drivers. Last season, Nyck de Vries was sacked from AlphaTauri mid-way through his rookie campaign after a string of poor results. However, Daniel Ricciardo seems to have the support of the Austrian giant despite having a poor start to the 2024 season.

Ricciardo has been consistently outperformed by Yuki Tsunoda this season. It was rumored that the Australian driver had a two-race ultimatum after the Australian GP. Although, VisaCashAppRB CEO Peter Bayer asserted that the Italian team needed Daniel Ricciardo.

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Now, as per ESPN, the reason for Red Bull’s reluctance to sack Ricciardo is his role in the team’s title sponsorship deal. AlphaTauri was rebranded to VisaCashAppRB this year after a massive deal worth $35 million with Visa and CashApp. Reportedly, CAA Sports which represents Daniel Ricciardo, finalized this deal between AlphaTauri and the two American companies.

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It is believed that Ricciardo’s presence played a role in increasing the total value of this deal. Daniel Ricciardo has a massive fan following and many still see him as the face of Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Although, the RB title sponsors don’t have a direct say in the driver lineup, Red Bull understands the importance of the Australian driver commercially. This gives the 34-year-old an extra layer of protection against being sacked by the Austrian giant.

Christian Horner claims Daniel Ricciardo will ‘pick himself up’

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner is believed to be a supporter of Daniel Ricciardo. The 50-year-old has opened the door for Ricciardo to return to Milton Keynes next season if he manages to prove his worth again.

Christian Horner and Daniel Ricciardo
Christian Horner and Daniel Ricciardo (Via IMAGO)

Horner recently reaffirmed his faith in Daniel Ricciardo. Despite the Australian driver’s poor results, Christian Horner was convinced that the 34-year-old would pick himself up and bounce back. Although, the Red Bull team boss admitted that sometimes it could get lonely for a driver in F1. The Briton claimed that encouragement would help Ricciardo in this situation.

He's [Daniel Ricciardo] a big boy and he'll pick himself up, but sometimes the F1 driver can be a bit lonely, so a bit of encouragement is never a bad thing.
Christian Horner told ESPN

Daniel Ricciardo remains determined on bouncing back in F1. The Australian driver wants to race for Red Bull Racing next season. However, the 34-year-old would need to prove himself after three disappointing races so far. Certainly, fans would be hoping to see Ricciardo perform at the top of his game once again.

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