The wait is finally over. Daniel Ricciardo has been confirmed as Infiniti Red Bull Racing's second driver for the 2014 Formula 1 season.
The Aussie will replace countryman Mark Webber, who retires from the sport at the end of this season. The announcement was made live on Austrian TV station Servus TV, with Ricciardo being unveiled as Red Bull's second driver.
He appeared on the show alongside Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko. Ricciardo drove for the Austrian team at the Silverstone Young Driver Test and recently confirmed that he visited their factory for a seat fitting.
Speaking in a statement released by Red Bull Racing, he said: "I feel very, very good at the moment and obviously there’s a lot of excitement running through me. Since joining F1 in 2011, I hoped this would happen and over time the belief in me has grown; I had some good results and Red Bull has decided that this is it, so it’s a good time."
He feels that he is ready to deliver strong results and challenge at the front: "Next year I’ll be with a championship-winning team, arguably the best team, and will be expected to deliver. I’m ready for that. I’m not here to run around in tenth place, I want to get the best results for myself and the team. I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do."
He added: "I know the team quite well already since being its reserve driver in 2010, which should make the transition easier. It will be a great challenge to be up against Sebastian Vettel, I’m looking forward to that. My aim is to finish this season as strong as possible, for myself and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Then, once the off-season is here, I’ll be fully focused on next year and the next stage of my career."
The 24-year-old currently races for Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso. He was signed to the Red Bull Junior Team in 2008. The energy drinks giant supported him throughout his feeder series career.
After finding success in Formula Renault 3.5, the Australian racer was promoted to a seat at back-markers HRT mid-season. He then signed for Toro Rosso for the 2012 season and has shown flashes of speed.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said in a statement released by Red Bull: "It’s fantastic to confirm Daniel as the team’s race driver for 2014. He’s a very talented youngster, he’s committed, he’s got a great attitude and in the end it was a very logical choice for us to choose Daniel."
He added: "He’s got all the attributes that are required to drive for our team: he’s got a great natural ability, he’s a good personality and a great guy to work with. Daniel knows what the team expects from him; he’ll learn quickly and it’s very much a medium to long term view that we’re taking in developing him. The seat within the team is a wonderful opportunity and I think he’s going to be a big star of the future."
Adrian Newey also commented on the team's new signing, saying: "Since Mark announced his retirement, Christian and I have been looking carefully at the driver market, along with Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz. We could have taken an experienced driver, somebody guaranteed to deliver to a relatively known level, or equally we could take on a much younger driver in the hope that they’ll develop to a very high level. We looked at the latter option and concluded that of the younger drivers, Daniel is the most promising."
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| (c) Getty Images |
He appeared on the show alongside Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko. Ricciardo drove for the Austrian team at the Silverstone Young Driver Test and recently confirmed that he visited their factory for a seat fitting.
Speaking in a statement released by Red Bull Racing, he said: "I feel very, very good at the moment and obviously there’s a lot of excitement running through me. Since joining F1 in 2011, I hoped this would happen and over time the belief in me has grown; I had some good results and Red Bull has decided that this is it, so it’s a good time."
He feels that he is ready to deliver strong results and challenge at the front: "Next year I’ll be with a championship-winning team, arguably the best team, and will be expected to deliver. I’m ready for that. I’m not here to run around in tenth place, I want to get the best results for myself and the team. I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to show what I can do."
 |
| (c) Getty Images |
He added: "I know the team quite well already since being its reserve driver in 2010, which should make the transition easier. It will be a great challenge to be up against Sebastian Vettel, I’m looking forward to that. My aim is to finish this season as strong as possible, for myself and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Then, once the off-season is here, I’ll be fully focused on next year and the next stage of my career."
The 24-year-old currently races for Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso. He was signed to the Red Bull Junior Team in 2008. The energy drinks giant supported him throughout his feeder series career.
After finding success in Formula Renault 3.5, the Australian racer was promoted to a seat at back-markers HRT mid-season. He then signed for Toro Rosso for the 2012 season and has shown flashes of speed.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said in a statement released by Red Bull: "It’s fantastic to confirm Daniel as the team’s race driver for 2014. He’s a very talented youngster, he’s committed, he’s got a great attitude and in the end it was a very logical choice for us to choose Daniel."
He added: "He’s got all the attributes that are required to drive for our team: he’s got a great natural ability, he’s a good personality and a great guy to work with. Daniel knows what the team expects from him; he’ll learn quickly and it’s very much a medium to long term view that we’re taking in developing him. The seat within the team is a wonderful opportunity and I think he’s going to be a big star of the future."
Adrian Newey also commented on the team's new signing, saying: "Since Mark announced his retirement, Christian and I have been looking carefully at the driver market, along with Helmut Marko and Dietrich Mateschitz. We could have taken an experienced driver, somebody guaranteed to deliver to a relatively known level, or equally we could take on a much younger driver in the hope that they’ll develop to a very high level. We looked at the latter option and concluded that of the younger drivers, Daniel is the most promising."
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