Red Bull’s Faenza outfit is debuting a new identity in 2024: Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 Team (VCARB). A mouthful to be sure, but the introduction of two new title sponsors will bring important funding to a team in the midst of rebuilding itself.
The new identity brings a host of new faces to lead the team, Laurent Mekies is replacing long time Team Principle Franz Tost and Peter Bayer is joining as CEO after a stint as Secretary General of the FIA. Both men bring a wealth of experience, 27 years in motorsport between them. Mekies will handle the racing and technical side of VCARB, while Bayer will take over the business side of the team.
2024 will be the second phase of a rebuilding project that began in 2023, meaning we shouldn’t expect the team to come out challenging for a podium in Bahrain. Mekies, in an interview with formula1.com, said that he doesn’t expect the team to be competitive early in the season, “the early phase […] will probably be a fairly tough one because of how hard we pushed at the end of last year and how deep the changes are that we made this winter.”
VCARB is in the process of moving their UK operations to Milton Keynes, improving their access to Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Powertrains who the team purchases parts from, as well as uses their wind tunnel and simulator. The move opens up new opportunities to expand VCARB’s workforce, utilizing employees from both the UK and Italy, something the team considers a strength. The majority of the team will remain in Italy at their Faenza headquarters, which will remain the teams home. Ideally the expansion will lead to a stronger year for VCARB, who finished eighth in the constructor standings last season, but in an already tight midfield it may be hard to stand out.
VCARB 01
The teams 2024 challenger, VCARB 01, is a sight to behold. Surprisingly it has a fully painted livery, something seemingly rare on this year’s grid. Inspired by the Toro Rosso liveries from 2017 to 2019, the new car boasts a stunning metallic blue and silver livery with red and white accents that compliment the team’s Hugo Boss and Orlen sponsorships.
On the engineering side, VCARB 01 shares some similarities with last years dominant RB19 such as the thinner inlets, a design many on the grid are adopting this year. The front and rear suspension are also new, both purchased from Red Bull Racing along with a new gearbox. Most of the car remains inspired by VCARB’s previous car AT04. The sidepods continue the unique hump design that was introduced by the team late last year. The engine cover, nose and floor also appear to be a continuation of AlphaTauri’s upgrades last season.
Of course the car shown at the Vegas launch party is unlikely to be final edition, pre-season testing will undoubtedly see new updates added before lights out in Bahrain. VCARB is expected to aggressively update the car this year as they did throughout last season, continuing their heavy focus on development.
| Top 10s | Podiums | Wins | Constructors | Points | |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 9th | 35 |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8th | 25 |
Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo is entering his first full season with VCARB since leaving after the 2013 season to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull Racing. Ricciardo has had a rocky career since leaving Red Bull Racing for Renault following the 2018 season. The Australian driver’s 2019 season was ultimately disappointing, only managing a ninth place finish in the championship. He rebounded the next year, scoring a podium finish at the Eifel Grand Prix and finished the season fifth in the championship.
Ricciardo followed up his impressive 2020 season with a shock move to McLaren for the 2021 season. The move initially looked like a perfect match as Ricciardo brought McLaren home their first win since 2012. This however ended up being the only highlight of the year as Ricciardo failed to score another podium and ended the season eighth in the championship with less points than 2020.
2022 was the final nail in the coffin for Ricciardo’s career at McLaren as the Australian driver dropped further in the championship to eleventh place, finishing with an 85 point deficit to teammate Lando Norris. Ricciardo was let go from his McLaren contract a year early and was out of a seat for 2023, settling for a role as a Third Driver with Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull Racing dedicated themselves to rebuilding Ricciardo into a championship contending driver, and when Nyck de Vries was let go from AlphaTauri midseason due to poor results, Ricciardo got his chance to return to the grid. Ricciardo joined AlphaTauri for the remainder of the 2023 season, and although his results are difficult to judge due to him only entering last season at Round 11 and his subsequent wrist injury sidelining him for five races, he was given a full-time seat with the team for 2024.
The Australian saw a decrease in both his average grid and finishing positions from 2022, although it must be noted that AlphaTauri’s car last season was worse than the McLaren Ricciardo drove in 2022. Ricciardo still managed to put in some impressive drives, Mexico in particular, where he qualified fourth and managed to secure points with a seventh place finish. Ricciardo has been clear about his ambitions to rejoin Red Bull Racing, and with mounting pressure on Sergio Perez, 2024 will act as an audition year for Ricciardo as he attempts to return to his former seat partnering Max Verstappen.
| Grid (AVG.) | Finish (AVG.) | Top 10s | Points | |
| 20221 | 11.41 | 11.63 | 8 | 37 |
| 20232 | 13.71 | 12.71 | 1 | 6 |
2didn’t run full season (7 races)
Yuki Tsunoda
Tsunoda’s has had a solid start to his Formula 1 career, opening it in 2021 with seven points finishes and fourteenth place in the championship. Tsunoda scored 32 points in his first full season for AlphaTauri, the most points scored by a rookie at the Faenza outfit since Max Verstappen scored 45 points in 2015. Luck didn’t go the Japanese driver’s way in 2022, AlphaTauri’s form dropped significantly as they went from sixth in the constructors to ninth. Tsunoda himself suffered five DNFs and a measly 12 points in the championship, 11 behind his teammate Pierre Gasly.
2023 served as a rebound season for Tsunoda, securing six points finishes, up from from his previous four. The Japanese driver also saw slight improvement to both his average grid and finishing position, especially impressive considering how poor AlphaTauri’s 2023 car was. 2023 was also Tsunoda’s first taste of leading a team as he partnered Formula 1 rookies Nyck de Vries and Liam Lawson. Tsunoda spoke with Sports Illustrated last season on how he felt about his new role, “From both sides, we will learn from each other and give our opinion on how we can improve each other. It’s a really good environment, and so far I think we’re happy with what I’ve done and also able to achieve.”
2024 will be Tsunoda’s fourth year with VCARB and might present the best car the Japanese driver has had underneath him. Pressure will be mounting on Tsunoda from Red Bull’s elite prospect lineup waiting for a seat. Red Bull has made it all but official that Liam Lawson will be joining the grid in 2025 and Ayumu Iwasa seems like a sure bet to get involved with Formula 1 soon. Tsunoda will need to produce results if he plans to stay at VCARB for 2025, especially if Red Bull don’t move Ricciardo to Red Bull Racing’s second seat.
| Grid (AVG.) | Finish (AVG.) | Top 10s | Points | |
| 2022 | 14.05 | 13.06 | 4 | 12 |
| 2023 | 13.82 | 12.55 | 6 | 17 |
Predictions
A major storyline of the 2024 season will be centered around Red Bull Racing’s second seat, currently occupied by Sergio Perez who has been the subject of criticism following a poor 2023 season. Ricciardo has been pegged as the natural successor to Perez’s seat since his return to the sport. It is in Red Bull Racing’s best interest to maintain stability during the 2024 campaign and keep Perez for the full season. Likewise, it is within VCARB’s best interest to keep Ricciardo’s veteran presence as he provides useful feedback to the rebuilding team. As such I don’t foresee a mid-season driver swap happening between the two teams this year.
Tsunoda’s future will be largely dependent on where Ricciardo ends up. If Ricciardo leaves for Red Bull Racing at the end of the season than Tsunoda will likely partner Liam Lawson at VCARB for 2025. If Ricciardo stays, than Tsunoda will need to perform well enough for Red Bull to value him higher than Lawson. If Tsunoda does find himself without a seat at VCARB for 2025, it is possible he makes a move to Aston Martin, either taking a race seat or as a reserve driver. Tsunoda, a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project, was brought into Red Bull’s academy thanks to Honda’s support. With Honda switching to Aston Martin for 2026 it is possible they will try to lure Tsunoda away from Red Bull.
2024 will likely be a stepping stone year from 2023 to 2025 for VCARB. The team is still finding its footing under new leadership and a new identity. I expect the team to finish a place or two higher in the constructor standings this season, maybe even fight for a podium in the later half of the year. However, it’s likely we won’t see the team become a true contender atop the midfield until the 2025 season.
Dirt 2 Asphalt 