Ahead of the 2022 Belgian GP, McLaren announced that Daniel Ricciardo will not be driving for them in 2023. The team sought to terminate Ricciardo’s contract a year early following his poor spell of performances last season.
Ricciardo only scored points on 8 of the 22 race weekends. He finished 11th in the driver’s standings with just 37 points which fared poorly compared to teammate Lando Norris’ 122 points.
The Aussie claimed he was interested in racing in Formula 1. But opted to take a break from racing in 2023 despite interest from Haas.
According to Guenther Steiner, the American-owned F1 team were interested in the services of the 8-time GP winner. But found his salary demands too steep.
Steiner reasons why Haas rejected Daniel Ricciardo
Following his sack from McLaren, there weren’t many racing seats available for Daniel Ricciardo. Only Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams had an opening but were quickly filled up.
Alfa Romeo opted to extend Zhou Guanyu’s contract by a year. While Williams extended Alex Albon’s contract and opted to offer Logan Sargeant the 2023 seat if he managed to secure the necessary Super License points.
Haas was unsure about retaining Mick Schumacher. The team flirted with the idea of bringing Daniel. But negotiations did not go as per the team’s wishes.
In the Season 5 of F1’s “Drive To Survive,” Haas driver Kevin Magnussen is seen prompting Ricciardo’s name for the 2023 seat. However, Team Principal Guenther Steiner put a lid on Dane’s suggestion.
Steiner replies to Magnussen, “We can’t afford him, Kevin. He wants f***ing $10 Million minimum.” Haas dropped the idea of offering Ricciardo a seat and chose to bring back Nico Hulkenberg instead.
Also Read: Lando Norris Snubs ‘Incorrect’ Representation of His Relationship With Daniel Ricciardo
Was McLaren’s $18 Million compensation behind Ricciardo’s decision to not race with Haas?
The reason why Daniel Ricciardo chose to not comply with Haas’ demands is intriguing. The Aussie wanted to race in F1 and Haas was the only team to have an available seat. So why did a Ricciardo-Magnussen partnership not work out?
The answer is simple, money! While Daniel claims he chose to take a hiatus for his mental health’s sake, it begs to differ if there was a financial angle involved.
Ricciardo was bound to get a huge amount totalling $18 Million from McLaren’s termination. But that would only be applicable if he fails to find a racing seat on the 2023 grid.
He’s back! Welcome home, @DanielRicciardo 🇦🇺 #DR3ack pic.twitter.com/LlA4OX6Oab
So by sitting out for a year, the Aussie would make millions. And he found the option better than racing for a non-competitive team with lower pay.
Ricciardo also won’t lose the bonus pay from McLaren by joining Red Bull as he is just a reserve driver. And there is always a possibility of him replacing Sergio Perez shortly.
