CONFIRMED! Daniel Ricciardo makes move to McLaren in 2021.

It has now been confirmed as of 10am BST that McLaren have signed Daniel Ricciardo as their replacement driver for the 2021 season to partner alongside Lando Norris. 

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, commented:
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando. This is good news for our team, partners and of course our fans.
“I also want to pay tribute to Carlos for the excellent job he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan. He is a real team player and we wish him well for his future beyond McLaren.”


Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1, commented:
“Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field. With Daniel and Lando as teammates, I believe we have two racers who will continue to excite our fans and help the team grow.
“Carlos is a true professional, a pleasure to work with and we will continue to enjoy going racing with him this year. We all wish him good luck for the next stage in his career when he leaves McLaren.”

This now cements the position that the Carlos Sainz rumours move to Ferrari are even more likely. 

Will this now open the door again for Nico Hulkenberg to make his comeback to Formula 1 via his old team Renault? 

Renault DP World F1's Managing Director released a statement this morning as well to say,

Cyril Abiteboul: “In our sport, and particularly within the current extraordinary situation, reciprocated confidence, unity and commitment are, more than ever, critical values for a works team. I am confident that the 2020 season will allow us to accomplish even more together. Our ambitions and the strategy of Renault DP World F1 Team remain unchanged.”