Ricciardo Eyeing F1 Podiums as 'VCARB' Nears Red Bull Integration

Feb.12 - Daniel Ricciardo is eyeing the podium in 2024, as the former AlphaTauri team moves ever closer in its technical alliance with big-brother team Red Bull Racing.

In the second half of last season, as the Faenza based team prepared to reset and rebrand as 'Visa Cash App RB' for 2024, the 2023 car began to use the rear suspension of Red Bull's dominant single seater.

Now, the new RB car will have Red Bull Racing's 2023 front suspension as well.

"A place in the top five should be our goal," said Ricciardo. "If we achieve that, perhaps a few podiums are possible."

Just by visibly inspecting the photos put out by RB, which is tipped to be nicknamed after its acronym VCARB, insiders are confirming that the 2024 car is very reminiscent of last year's title-winning Red Bull.

"From the nose to the rear diffuser, the car has changed in terms of its design, with a striking resemblance to its older brother," said Marco Canseco, writing in Marca sports newspaper.

"Without a doubt, it will provoke reactions in the headquarters of rivals, due to the technical transfer that has been greatly criticised already."

Ricciardo's teammate Yuki Tsunoda is not hiding the strategy.

"We will work more closely with Red Bull Racing than in previous years," said the Japanese. "That's good news.

"Red Bull has dominated in recent years and we will use every opportunity within the regulations to benefit from this experience."

Franz Tost has departed as long-time team boss, and he has been replaced with recent Ferrari sporting director and deputy boss Laurent Mekies.

"We have our factory in Faenza and a branch in Bicester, where we mainly work on aerodynamics," he said.

"We are moving this branch to completely new buildings in Milton Keynes in order to be part of the Red Bull campus there. With these two locations we can attract the best specialists from Europe.

"We have the advantage of being able to work with the world champion - with Red Bull Racing," the Frenchman admitted.

Paolo Filisetti, a technical F1 journalist for La Gazzetta dello Sport, expects a clear step forward for Red Bull's sister team.

"Defining the new Racing Bulls car as a clone of the Red Bull RB19 seems decidedly reductive," he said. "In the sense that the Faenza team's single-seater not only incorporates practically all the characteristics of the 2023 world champion car, but even takes its concepts to the extreme and integrates elements seen on other cars.

"Undoubtedly the (2024 RB) starts from the RB19 concept as regards the suspension with the front pull-rod and the multi-link push rod rear, connected to the gearbox also inherited from the car from Milton Keynes," Filisetti added.

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