Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed for the first time that he will not be on the F1 grid in 2023 after leaving McLaren after the end of the recent season.
Daniel Ricciardo didn’t have a strong bond with any of the available seats, but confirmed on Saturday that he won’t be driving next season after Alpine F1 Team announced the signing of Pierre Gasly.
Williams and Haas F1 Team still have two seats. As for Williams, Logan Sargent is expected to take a seat if he secures a superlicence for the F2 finale in Abu Dhabi. Nico Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi are the main contenders for Haas F1 Team, with Hulkenberg appearing to be the leading driver candidate.
Daniel Ricciardo’s interest turned to a possible sabbatical and a possible contract with a top team (Mercedes) as a potential reserve driver a few weeks ago.
However, we have had discussions with Mercedes, but it is understood that he will no longer take on the role of reserve driver.
“I knew the news about Gasly,” said Daniel Ricciardo when asked if Gasly’s announcement had affected his hopes.
“I knew they’d been talking for a while and I knew they were very interested in Pierre. Let’s just say I was ready for it. No surprises.”
“We were trying to get around it and figure out what would happen next, but I think the reality now is that we won’t be on the grid in 2023.”
“We are now trying to set it up for 2024, and I think we may have a better opportunity then, so this is really all we have to announce and what we are aiming for now.”
Asked if it would be possible to try a series like NASCAR next year, Daniel Ricciardo stressed that he would like to remain focused on F1 even when he is not racing.
“For sure the plan is still to get involved in Formula 1. As far as my Formula 1 career goes, I think it’s a bit of a pause. The intention is 2024.”
“I’m sure it will open up opportunities for me to do some of those things, but if I feel it deviates from my goals, I’ll say it’s not where I’m looking, It wouldn’t be fun or cool to compete elsewhere.”
“The truth is that mentally I’m not there yet. I’m still very committed to Formula 1 and I think it will probably work if I just get out of my seat for a bit.”
“So instead of jumping into something else and trying to keep busy in another category, maybe they’ll try to use it. Quite convincingly, it’s everywhere else. it won’t happen.”
Category: F1 / Daniel Ricardo / mclaren