Daniel Ricciardo will be joining McLaren replacing Carlos Sainz from 2021, it has been announced.
The Australian had been considered a possible candidate to replace Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari, after the four-time world champion announced he would be leaving on Tuesday.
Instead, with the Scuderia opting for Sainz, he has chosen to leave Renault after just two seasons with the French manufacturer, and team up with McLaren as they embark on a new era with Mercedes engines next year.
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown commented. “This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans.
“I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren.”
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Team boss Andreas Seidl added: “Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field.
“With Daniel and Lando as teammates, I believe we have two racers who will continue to excite our fans and help the team grow.
“Carlos is a true professional, a pleasure to work with and we will continue to enjoy going racing with him this year. We all wish him good luck for the next stage in his career when he leaves McLaren.”
Now it’s over to Ferrari to confirm Sainz…