The hiring of Daniel Ricciardo demonstrates the seriousness of Renault’s ambitions.
That is the view of Ricciardo’s new Renault teammate for 2019, Nico Hulkenberg.
News that Ricciardo will leave Red Bull at the end of the year shocked the F1 world late last week, and even caught the energy drink-owned team by surprise.
"Ricciardo called me on Thursday to tell me the decision," Dr Helmut Marko said.
"He has spent almost all of his career at Red Bull and told me that he wanted a change.
"Now we will think about who will be the teammate for Max Verstappen," Marko added.
It is believed that Carlos Sainz’s chances have shrunk, after Dutchman Verstappen reportedly vetoed the move. The pair were once together at Toro Rosso.
Spaniard Sainz could instead move to McLaren.
Sainz’s departure means Hulkenberg gets a new teammate for 2019, and the German fully backed Renault’s signing.
Referring to Ricciardo joining the team, Hulkenberg told Bild newspaper: "It shows how serious Renault is about attacking Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull."