“I Will Call Them That”: Daniel Ricciardo Reaffirms Loyalty to VCARB as Fans Ridicule Rebranding

Visa Cash App RB, the name failed to make a mark in F1 fans’ hearts right from day 1. To make matters worse, the rebranding made the team an object of ridicule. It wasn’t just the fans that mocked the Faenza-based team, but also the experts who took digs. However, Daniel Ricciardo couldn’t care less. The team that gave him a second chance in F1 has his unfettered loyalty.

Fans mostly had a three-pronged problem with the name Visa Cash App RB. Firstly, the team ignored their opinion to rebrand back to Toro Rosso, a name that did justice to its Red Bull as well as Italian roots. Secondly, the name was too long and did not give the fans a shorter alternative. Finally, the team never cleared the air on what the “RB” stood for. Was it “Racing Bulls,” the name they trademarked recently? Nobody knows.

But Daniel Ricciardo is prepared to call it by its full name every time he needs to make a mention. Pit Debrief recently quoted Ricciardo as saying, “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.” 

He added, “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.”

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

Initially, rumors suggested that the team was internally calling itself VCARB (the abbreviated version of the full name) in everyday communication. The same seems to have been picked on by the media.

Daniel Ricciardo prepares to take VCARB out of Red Bull’s shadow

Whether it was Toro Rosso or AlphaTauri, VCARB was always used to test young drivers by Red Bull. If they proved worthy enough, they would get a break in the senior team. For years, the model has worked as drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and even Daniel Ricciardo made their way into Red Bull through this route.

However, since the rebranding, the team has etched some individualistic ambitions of its own. Those include competitively making a mark for themselves. In a recent interview with Lawrence Barretto, Ricciardo revealed, “It’s no longer just a platform for Red Bull Racing; it’s a time for us to fight, you know, at the front of the midfield.”

AlphaTauri confirmed that from next year they’re not only going to get “everything that is permitted by the regulations from Red Bull Racing”, but also moving their aerodynamics design team to Milton Keynes, home of RB. I guess FIA’s job is about to become even more complicated. pic.twitter.com/8dnZR5z0lp

— Simon Dau (@there_is_no_if) August 29, 2023

VCARB is currently going through a transitional phase. While they aim to create their own identity, much of their functions are moving from Italy to Red Bull’s Milton Keynes facility. This move will only increase their reliability on the senior team. Is an identity crisis on the cards? Or has the management got it all sorted?