A whole new livery, a new name for the team, yet Red Bull Racing's subsidiary, now called Visa Cash App RB, has the same drivers behind the wheel of the Formula 1 car. Daniel Ricciardo made a comeback midway through last season, after Nyck de Vries was let go, and is driving for the team again this season.
The fact that the team has a new name does not suddenly mean that the car has also changed of its own accord, Ricciardo clarified. "Fans got excited, I think they thought we were going to be a different version of another car from the past, but it's not that, it isn't that."
Still, the car did get better according to the good-humoured Australian. "I think we've definitely developed the car from last year. It's hard because we brought updates in Abu Dhabi, so we're comparing it to a car that had fresh updates. You know, if we compared it to the car, the race before Abu Dhabi, then, you know, it looks like we've made a bigger step, but it's just an evolution of that."
The 34-year-old driver remains realistic for the upcoming season of the king class of motorsport. "So, some gains here and there, but still, I think if we want to be short of fight for Q3s and top 10s, I think there's certainly still going to be a bit more to find. But yeah, I say that realistically, I don't say it pessimistically, just realistically. So, let's see what we've got."