Daniel Ricciardo SLAMS claims that the new VCARB challenger is a Red Bull RB-19 copy

The close ties between VCARB and Red Bull in the budget cap era has invited huge criticism from the community.

Daniel Ricciardo SLAMS claims that the new VCARB challenger is a Red Bull RB-19 copy

Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccardo (Via IMAGO)

Daniel Ricciardo emphasized that VCARB’S 2024 car is not a replica of the RB19. Red Bull and its sister team, Visa Cash App RB, have tightened their relationship ahead of the 2024 season. They have moved their HQ to Red Bull’s campus in England and agreed to share and use all the parts that are permitted under the rule dictating alliances within the teams.

Pre-season testing revealed RB’s VCARB-01’s resemblance to RB 19, which got Max Verstappen the championship in 2023, and their impressive test seeded rumors that the new RB car is a copy of Red Bull’s old car. During the media interaction, Ricciardo addressed the speculations regarding the new VCARB-01 being similar to RB-19. 

I think people definitely got excited from let's say, from the outside, let's just say fans, fans were excited, I think they thought it was gonna be a different version of another car from the past, but it's not that. It was a bit of excitement that it was gonna be, but it's certainly not. I think we're trying to make the most of what we have. I think we've definitely developed a car from last year, it's hard because we brought updates in Abu Dhabi, so we're comparing it to the car that had fresh updates.
Daniel Ricciardo said, as reported by racingnews365.com.

VCARB-01 outpaced Mercedes and McLaren in Bahrain’s pre-season testing, with Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda displaying impressive performance. Due to their midfield group position, Ricciardo is cautious ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, and rumours suggest a possible challenge due to RB’s expanding partnership with Red Bull.

Daniel Ricciardo reiterates his allegiance to VCARB

After rebranding in Formula One, the team Visa Cash App RB, which is based in Faenza, was made fun of by both fans and experts. That being said, Daniel Ricciardo, who received a second chance in Formula One, never wavered in his devotion to the team that extended it.

Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo
Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo (Via: Imago)

The three main problems that RB faced with fans were that the team disregarded their suggestions to rebrand to Toro Rosso, which was more appropriate given its Italian heritage and Red Bull reputation; the name was too long and did not offer a shorter option; and the team never explained what the initials “RB” stood for—perhaps “Racing Bulls.” Amidst all the chaos surrounding the name, Ricciardo always uses the full name of the team. He mentioned during the interview,

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 Cash App, they are helping us go racing. You know, all of our sponsors are. 
Daniel Ricciardo said.

To establish its identity and move operations from Italy to Red Bull’s Milton Keynes facility, VCARB is currently going through a transitional phase. There are worries about how management will handle an identity crisis or whether this move will improve senior team reliability.

In case you missed it: