As Formula 1 returns from its summer break, Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren announced they would be parting ways at the end of the season. The Australian joined McLaren in 2021 on a three-year deal, racing alongside Lando Norris. However, the team and Ricciardo have “mutually agreed” to terminate his contract one year early.
“We had a lot of discussions, but in the end we mutually agreed that this is the right thing for both of us. I will continue to do the rest of this year, absolutely, and I’ll continue to give it my all. So that’s that.”
Ricciardo secured the team’s first win since 2012 at Monza last season, with Norris second. However, the 8-time race winner has so far lagged behind his teammate. While Lando Norris sits on seventh in the 2022 driver standings, Daniel Ricciardo is 12th with just 19 points to his name. So what’s next for Ricciardo then?
The former Red Bull and Renault driver reiterated his determination to stay in Formula 1. “The sport, I still love it, I still love it. This hasn’t affected any of that. I still have that fire in me, that belief in my belly, that I can do this at the highest level,” he said.
With Fernando Alonso set to join Aston Martin next year, there’s a vacancy at the Alpine team alongside Esteban Ocon. Ricciardo was with the team for two years before joining McLaren, having raced for them under the Renault banner. Meanwhile Alpine reserve driver and fellow Australian Oscar Piastri is the rumoured favourite to join Lando Norris at McLaren.
Apart from Alpine, Haas also seems to be interesting in bringing Ricciardo aboard. While Danish driver Kevin Magnussen signed a multi-year deal with Haas ahead of this season, his teammate Mick Schumacher’s current contract expires at the end the 2022 season. Considering Ricciardo is one of the highest-paid drivers on the grid, it will be interesting to see if Haas can accommodate him in their team.
Meanwhile McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said that the doors remain open for the Australian to represent McLaren in a different series like IndyCar, Extreme E or Formula E.“Yes, we are Daniel Ricciardo fans. We do have other racing activities and if that was something that was interest to Daniel, we would welcome those conversations. We will let him speak for himself, but I believe he is very focused on F1,” said Brown.
Let us know in the comments down below where do you think Daniel Ricciardo is headed next year!
“We had a lot of discussions, but in the end we mutually agreed that this is the right thing for both of us. I will continue to do the rest of this year, absolutely, and I’ll continue to give it my all. So that’s that.”
Ricciardo secured the team’s first win since 2012 at Monza last season, with Norris second. However, the 8-time race winner has so far lagged behind his teammate. While Lando Norris sits on seventh in the 2022 driver standings, Daniel Ricciardo is 12th with just 19 points to his name. So what’s next for Ricciardo then?
The former Red Bull and Renault driver reiterated his determination to stay in Formula 1. “The sport, I still love it, I still love it. This hasn’t affected any of that. I still have that fire in me, that belief in my belly, that I can do this at the highest level,” he said.
With Fernando Alonso set to join Aston Martin next year, there’s a vacancy at the Alpine team alongside Esteban Ocon. Ricciardo was with the team for two years before joining McLaren, having raced for them under the Renault banner. Meanwhile Alpine reserve driver and fellow Australian Oscar Piastri is the rumoured favourite to join Lando Norris at McLaren.
Apart from Alpine, Haas also seems to be interesting in bringing Ricciardo aboard. While Danish driver Kevin Magnussen signed a multi-year deal with Haas ahead of this season, his teammate Mick Schumacher’s current contract expires at the end the 2022 season. Considering Ricciardo is one of the highest-paid drivers on the grid, it will be interesting to see if Haas can accommodate him in their team.
Meanwhile McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said that the doors remain open for the Australian to represent McLaren in a different series like IndyCar, Extreme E or Formula E.“Yes, we are Daniel Ricciardo fans. We do have other racing activities and if that was something that was interest to Daniel, we would welcome those conversations. We will let him speak for himself, but I believe he is very focused on F1,” said Brown.
Let us know in the comments down below where do you think Daniel Ricciardo is headed next year!