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Australian Daniel Ricciardo will leave Renault and compete for McLaren in 2021, the British Formula One team confirmed.
The 30-year-old, seven-race winner for Red Bull, will partner with British driver Lando Norris and will replace Spaniard Carlos Sainz, who will join Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel’s replacement.
Ferrari has yet to confirm Sainz’s arrival after announcing Tuesday that Vettel would leave after six years at Maranello.
McLaren said Ricciardo had signed a multi-year deal with the former champions, who finished fourth last year but have not won a race since 2012.
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, along with Lando,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
The American paid tribute to Sainz for “the excellent work he has been doing for McLaren in helping our performance recovery plan.”
“He is a true team player and we wish him the best for his future beyond McLaren.”
Renault issued a brief statement saying that talks with Ricciardo about renewing his contract had been unsuccessful.
They gave no indication of who might replace the popular Australian, although media speculation has suggested that double world champion Fernando Alonso may return to the team that led to his titles in 2005 and 2006.
The 38-year-old Spaniard last drove for McLaren in Formula One in 2018.
“In our sport, and particularly in the current extraordinary situation, mutual trust, unity and commitment are, more than ever, critical values for a work team,” said Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul.
“I am confident that the 2020 season will allow us to achieve even more together. Our ambitions and the strategy of the Renault DP World F1 Team have not changed.”
Furthermore, Ferrari confirmed that Spanish Carlos Sainz will race for them in 2021 and 2022 as a replacement for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel alongside Charles Leclerc.
Sainz, 25, has been at McLaren since last year and Ferrari will be his fourth team after his 2015 debut with Italy-based Toro Rosso. His father and namesake is a two-time world rally champion.
“With five seasons behind him, Carlos has shown himself to be very talented and has shown that he has the right technical skills and attributes to make him fit our family perfectly,” said team principal Mattia Binotto.
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