With all the teams getting ready for the 2024 season, AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo believes his team is no longer a junior F1 team and is ready to sit in the ‘big boy’ chair. Sporting one of the most experienced driver lineups, Red Bull’s sister team should be looked at as serious challengers in the middle of the grid, soon to be feared as a top contender, believes the 34-year-old.
‘@danielricciardo says that the soon-to-be-renamed @AlphaTauriF1 is no longer a junior team as it heads into 2024 with two experienced drivers, new management and a new identity: https://t.co/jAZI4xTbKZ
— Adam Cooper (@adamcooperF1) December 9, 2023
Since the team’s debut in F1 in 2006, their starting lineup of 2024 will be their most experienced lineup ever, with Ricciardo partnering up with Yuki Tsunoda. Marking an iconic moment where the team will not bank on any young talent at the start of a season, Motorsport.com quotes Ricciardo, who claims the team is a ‘big bull.’
“I feel like this is no longer a junior team. And I think, with a lot of plans for next year, hopefully we can prove it on the track and get more points, like in the last few races.”
The team will feature in the 2024 grid with a new identity and a new title sponsorship, which the FIA will disclose when announcing the official grid entries for the next season. CEO Peter Bayer and Team Principal Laurent Mekies have shown consistent faith in advancing the Faenza structure, and Ricciardo believes the team is on the right path.
With immense experience and eight Grands Prix wins aiding his resume, the Honey Badger remains optimistic for a strong season. Having finished the previous season on a high, securing decent points, Ricciardo and AlphaTauri believe they are ready to take things up a notch by building on their progress.
A new-look Daniel Ricciardo and AlphaTauri coming our way
The upcoming F1 season promises a fresh-looking grid, credits due to a rebranding of the AlphaTauri team, which debuted in 2006 as Toro Rosso. Per the latest rumors around the same, the team will soon unveil a new name and a new logo. Social media platforms such as X and Threads have seen a meteoric rise in the speculations around who the new title sponsors could be and what could be the team’s new name. While the rebranding may work wonders for the team, Red Bull is starting to lose interest in their direct involvement with them and is looking to move away from the title sponsorship, signifying a revamped marketing strategy.
| AlphaTauri is changing its approach to signing young drivers.
“We will not race with two juniors. We will always have one experienced driver.”
Details below:https://t.co/2fNDLNIgu3
— formularacers (@formularacers_) December 9, 2023
Hugo Boss and Adidas are emerging as top contenders to land as title sponsors for the team. However, the team’s new name will still pay tribute to their linkage with Red Bull. As such, the name ‘Racing Bulls’ might be the one to make the cut. The name will also be a nod to the team’s heritage in the sport, drawing parallels with ‘Toro Rosso,’ which paid homage to the name ‘Red Bull.’
