McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo will be staying till the end of his contract and he wants to keep performing at the highest level.
The contract saga of Daniel Ricciardo has been buzzing around for the last couple of weeks. The Aussie has a contract with McLaren until the end of the 2023 season.
Ricciardo earns a base salary of $15 million per year, This makes him one of the highest earners in the F1 grid. But McLaren is not impressed with the current streak of the ‘Honey Badger’.
The 32-year-old has managed to score points in only 3 races of the 2022 season so far. He sits at P12 on the driver’s standings with 17 points after the Austrian GP. And according to fans and pundits alike, he has massively underperformed to his expectations.
The Australian won the highly eventful 2021 Italian GP with McLaren. It was the team’s first victory since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. And their first 1-2 finish since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.
🗣️ Zak Brown has suggested that Daniel Ricciardo will stay with McLaren in 2023.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes for him because we know he can win us races. What we ask of him is clear: that he drives at Lando’s level.”
🇦🇺🟠 pic.twitter.com/dgfZnMAH95
— Mr Green Sport (@MrGreenSport) July 11, 2022
There were rumours that drivers like Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, Colton Herta and even Sebastian Vettel could take Ricciardo’s seat in 2023.
But Ricciardo showed in a recent post that he is committed to McLaren. McLaren too would be unwilling to tear up a rather expensive contract.
All we know is that Ricciardo is his harshest critic. According to some employees at the McLaren Technology Center, he has doubled his simulator time in order to get a handle on the car. He teared up in an address to reaffirm his commitment to them and to Formula 1.
Also Read: F1 fans were furious by McLaren’s utter disregard for Daniel Ricciardo during the F1 sprint race
Daniel Ricciardo is ‘committed’ to McLaren
Daniel Ricciardo shared in a recent post that he will honour his contract with McLaren. He is adamant about giving his best and will be staying till his contract lasts.
The Australian posted on Wednesday: “There have been a lot of rumours about my future in Formula One. But I want you to hear it from me. I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and not walking away from the sport.
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) July 13, 2022
“Appreciate it hasn’t always been easy, but who wants easy! I’m working my a– off with the team to make improvements and get the car right back to the front where it belongs. I still want this more than ever.”
Recently, Colton Herta took part in a two-day test for McLaren at Portimao. He drove the 2021 F1 car, MCL35M. This added speculations that he could be a possible contender for the F1 seat.
There is a chance that he could leave F1 as the Australian would be 35 by the year his contract ends. Ricciardo could move to Indycar or other racing competitions.
Also Read: Zak Brown dismisses rumours surrounding Daniel Ricciardo exit
