Toro Rosso says it is no rush to name Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement for next season.
On Monday Red Bull announced that Ricciardo will be promoted to the senior team next year to replace Mark Webber, leaving an open slot at Toro Rosso in 2014. Jean-Eric Vergne is expected to be kept on by Toro Rosso but the second seat will most likely be given to one of Red Bull’s junior drivers.
Formula Renault 3.5 driver Antonio Felix da Costa is the favourite for the seat, although GP3 drivers Carlos Sainz Jr and Daniil Kvyat tested for the team at the recent Silverstone Young Driver Test earlier this year.
“As to who will replace Daniel at Toro Rosso in 2014, we will now look at all our options and make a decision at a later date, as there is no immediate need to rush,” team principal Franz Tost said.
Tost added that he had mixed emotions seeing Ricciardo leave for Red Bull.
“Congratulations to Daniel, although we would have liked to keep him, because he is a talented driver who has done a great job with Scuderia Toro Rosso. At the same time, we are very pleased to see him make this move, which means he will follow in the footsteps of Sebastian Vettel.
“When Dietrich Mateschitz acquired the team that became Toro Rosso, his stated aim was that it should be the final step in the training of young drivers, with the eventual goal of graduating to the “senior” team. Daniel’s move thus vindicates the work of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme and also proves that we at Toro Rosso have given him a good racing education.
“Daniel already knows his new team, having tested for them a few times and I am sure he will soon feel at home there next year – they won’t even have to change the Australian flag on the side of his car!”
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