After a difficult two years with the team, Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the season and he won’t be in Formula 1 next year.
Ricciardo’s move to McLaren in 2021 was exciting on paper. Fans felt that a partnership with Lando Norris could be amazing for the Woking-based outfit but in reality, Ricciardo was completely outperformed by his teammate.
The Perth-born driver still has a year left in his contract. Despite that, his underwhelming performances led McLaren to pull the plug early. Ricciardo’s young compatriot and 2021 F2 Champion Oscar Piastri will replace him at McLaren.
2022 was arguably his most difficult year in F1, especially when he realized that he won’t be getting a seat next season. In this difficult moment, Ricciardo revealed that the older drivers helped him get through it. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the 33-year-old described how their kind words comforted him.
Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton helped Daniel Ricciardo
Despite his recent struggles, a lot of people forget how good Ricciardo was during his Red Bull days. He was with the Milton-Keynes-based team during an era of Mercedes dominance, but still won seven races in five seasons.
“Some of the older drivers were helpful when McLaren decided I was going,” Ricciardo revealed. “They made kind comments privately or publicly. Sebastian Vettel was outstanding. We had a lot of chats one-on-one. Lewis Hamilton was good, too.”
He left them for Renault in 2019 and had a decent stint with the French team. However, it was his McLaren move that really took his career downhill. Regardless, Ricciardo wants to stay optimistic and hopes he returns to the grid in 2024.
Also read: 8-GP winner Daniel Ricciardo believes he has fared worse with McLaren than against Max Verstappen
Ricciardo wants future sorted out before Abu Dhabi GP
There are just three more races left in the 2022 season. These may well be Ricciardo’s last F1 outings for quite some time since it’s unclear as to when he will get a seat. However, he will most likely stay in F1 as a reserve driver in 2023.
He has been heavily linked to the Mercedes and Red Bull reserve roles, and it’s something the Aussie will consider. In the same interview, he insisted that he wants his future decided before the Abu Dhabi GP.
He also revealed that he wants to maintain some distance from the sport as a whole, but doesn’t want to lose touch.
