McLaren have confirmed the signing of Daniel Ricciardo from Formula One rivals Renault, paving the way for Carlos Sainz's move to Ferrari.

There has been no race action in the 2020 F1 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but with many drivers' contracts coming to an end in 2021, teams are beginning to shuffle their packs ahead of next year.

Ferrari confirmed on Tuesday that former world champion Sebastian Vettel would be leaving the team upon the expiration of his deal.

Sainz had been widely tipped to be Vettel's replacement and that switch was duly confirmed after McLaren announced the Spaniard would be bringing an end to his two-year stay at the team, with Ricciardo drafted in to race alongside Lando Norris from 2021.

Ricciardo, meanwhile, came close to joining McLaren ahead of the 2019 season, but the Australian instead elected to join Renault, who have been linked with moves for Vettel and former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso as potential team-mates for Esteban Ocon.


"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 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."

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul, however, suggested Renault had been let down by Ricciardo's decision to leave at the end of the campaign.

"In our sport, and particularly within the current extraordinary situation, reciprocated confidence, unity and commitment are, more than ever, critical values for a works team," Abiteboul said.

"I am confident that the 2020 season will allow us to accomplish even more together. Our ambitions and the strategy of Renault DP World F1 Team remain unchanged."