WOKING, England – Daniel Ricciardo will end his tenure with Renault at the end of the Formula One season and move to McLaren beginning in 2021.
The 30-year-old Australian replaces outgoing driver Carlos Sainz Jr., who has signed a two-year contract to join Scuderia Ferrari beginning next year. Ricciardo will be paired with Lando Norris at McLaren next year.
“Signing Daniel is another step forward in our long-term plan and will bring an exciting new dimension to the team, alongside Lando,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “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.”
Ricciardo began his Formula One career in 2011 and since then has made 171 Grands Prix starts, earning seven victories along the way. His biggest victory came in 2018 when he won the Monaco Grand Prix after holding off Sebastian Vettel in the closing laps.
McLaren will be Ricciardo’s fifth Formula One team during his career. He started his career in 2011 with the HRT squad before joining Toro Rosso in 2012. He then transitioned to the Red Bull Racing team in 2013 before departing for Renault ahead of the 2019 season.
“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,” said McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl. “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.”