Visa Cash App RB (V-CARB) will be looking to get off to a flying start as the team enters a new era. Their drivers would also be hoping for a strong season so they can strengthen their position in the team. With Daniel Ricciardo standing first in line to potentially replace Sergio Perez in Red Bull, the 2024 season might be the most crucial campaign of his career. Addressing the prospect with Sky Sports, Ted Kravitz feels the plan is set to bring Ricciardo back to Red Bull.
“Somewhere deep in Red Bull, the plan is for Danny Ric to replace Checo in 2025.”
The claims made by Kravitz are based on his belief that V-CARB will be a much better team this year. Owing to key signings such as Tim Goss, the team is expected to show incredible improvements. Hence, Ricciardo might be able to secure a large chunk of points in 2024. Furthermore, Kravitz feels there are chances that the honey badger could even finish in the podium places at least once.
Additionally, the 49-year-old sees no other replacement option for Red Bull. Lando Norris has a long-term contract with McLaren, meaning he won’t leave. Lewis Hamilton recently signed a contract with Ferrari and will join them in 2025.
Carlos Sainz is up for grabs, but his past might not sit well with the team’s future. Things didn’t work out well between him and Max Verstappen when they were teammates in Toro Rosso. Hence, the Austrian team would not want to make things trickier for themselves.
V-CARB’s underdog status could work in favor of Daniel Ricciardo
With a new identity and a revamped management setup, expectations aren’t very high from V-CARB. However, per Kravitz, they will be the biggest surprise of 2024. Pre-season testing gave us an idea of the team’s standards.
Given cars rarely run on race-spec, the results from V-CARB were beyond anyone’s imagination. Thus, the British reporter expects them to take the grid by storm. His confidence in the team also stems from the significant leap made by the Faenza-based outfit over the winter break. While the team worked on a new identity and management, they also worked hard towards becoming a competitive outfit.
Kravitz pointed out that historically, one of the “big guys” usually DNF in the first few races. Hence, it could be the perfect opportunity for a V-CARB driver to fight for the podium. Given their improvements, the team could have the pace to achieve it. Additionally, Ricciardo would fight even harder. With a fast car at his mercy, the Australian need only control his emotions and improve on his performances from 2023. Should he be able to achieve this, a Red Bull promotion might only be a matter of time.
