Daniel Ricciardo comments on new Visa Cashapp RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies - “I think he brings a lot of enthusiasm”

Daniel Ricciardo spoke positively of Visa Cashapp RB team principal Laurent Mekies, stating that he brings a new perspective to the team.

Laurent Mekies left his sporting director role at Ferrari, becoming team principal at RB, filling in for Franz Tost after he retired from F1. The 2024 season will be his first as team principal, and it will also be Daniel Ricciardo's first full season with the team.

After working with him for a while now, Ricciardo expressed the enthusiasm that Mekies brings to the team. He said (via Pit Debrief):

"He's been really good. So I think I like how you call him by his last name. I wasn't sure at first. I was like, oh, Mekies."

"Laurent's been really good. I think just his, you know, like in so many situations, sometimes you also just need fresh eyes or fresh perspective or fresh energy. And I think he's really bringing that. You know, I think he brings a lot of enthusiasm."

Ricciardo further revealed that Mekies is open and accepting of any criticism or feedback that members of the team might give him, which is why, according to him, the team approaches him with the "right mentality."

"He brings a very kind of determined, driven approach, but also like an open door policy. So any comments, criticism, feedback, anything he's open for. And I think he's, yeah, maintained, I think, the right level of kind of approach-ness. I don't know what the word is."

"But I think he's approached the team with the right mentality. And I've really enjoyed. I mean, I worked with him 10 years ago and it's nice to work with him again."

Both Laurent Mekies and Daniel Ricciardo worked together when the latter raced for Toro Rosso, which has now been rebranded to RB.

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Daniel Ricciardo reveals RB's podium is a 'wish' as they target the midfield in the 2024 F1 season

The start of the 2023 campaign was disappointing for RB (then called AlphaTauri) as the team struggled to score any points. Rookie driver Nyck de Vries was then replaced by Daniel Ricciardo mid-season, who, with Yuki Tsunoda, brought the team into a better position.

Heading into the 2024 F1 season, Ricciardo revealed that the team is planning to battle with teams in the mid-field, which turned out to be the most challenging pack during the earlier season. When asked if the team would battle at the top, he said:

"I'd like to say yes, but truth is we're trying to certainly build something right now," he said, according to RacingNews365.

"And I think this is the year where the team really tries to establish themselves and kind of stand on their own two feet, and obviously then try to establish a fight towards the front of the midfield.

He then revealed that the team scoring podiums is a 'wish' currently, but there is hope for development throughout the length of the season.

"I think, yeah, wins and podiums are a little bit of a wish, at the moment more than maybe a reality. But as the year goes on, I think we will progress and hopefully keep getting closer and closer to the front."

As mentioned, this will be Daniel Ricciardo's first complete racing season with the team. He finished the 2023 season with six points (which he scored in the Mexican GP) and 17th place in the championship.