Daniel Ricciardo doesn’t see his end in Formula 1 coming just yet, even if he currently denies a reserve role for 2023 – But one thing he completely rules out
Daniel Ricciardo has denied he has signed a contract as a Formula 1 reserve driver for 2023. But the Australian says he is in talks to ensure he is “still there” in the paddock
After confirming in August that he will leave McLaren at the end of the season – a year before his contract expires – Ricciardo is on the lookout for alternatives.
The eight-time Grand Prix winner has since accepted that he will not be a regular driver in Formula One next year. Instead, he has been linked with a possible reserve role for one of the existing teams.
Ricciardo has not signed anything yet
During the USA Grand Prix qualifying broadcast on ‘Sky Sports’, it was suggested that Ricciardo could return to his former team Red Bull for a reserve role. But when asked about this, Ricciardo denied the rumours.
“No, I haven’t, I haven’t,” he said when asked if he would be a reserve driver for a team next season. “At the moment everything is just a rumour. Is there talk? Yes. But nothing is in writing yet or anything like that.”
He will “still be there”, the McLaren driver insists. That’s because he still has “ambitions for 2024”, when he will seek a full-time return to racing.
Only full-time option for 2023 is Haas
“So I’m not going to retire completely from the sport, but of course nothing is guaranteed for ’24,” he adds. “For example, I don’t have a seat that I can say I will definitely take over. But I’ll still be there trying to work on coming back. “
When Ricciardo’s exit from McLaren was announced, a number of teams still had vacancies for 2023. But there are now hardly any vacancies. With Williams planning to sign Logan Sargeant if he collects enough points for a super licence, Haas remains the only team with an option.
Ricciardo, however, seems to be backing away from a possible move to the American team: “With what’s available at the moment, I feel like I’m better off sticking to my plan and going for something else. “
Refusal to IndyCar: Ovals scare him off
However, this plan still does not include a move to the IndyCar series. Ricciardo was visibly comfortable during the Grand Prix weekend in the United States, prompting a former Formula One colleague Romain Grosjean to tweet that Ricciardo was “made for IndyCar”.
But his reaction was clear: “Forget it. Ovals scare me. And my Formula 1 ambitions aren’t finished yet. so that’s really the most important thing. I don’t want to deviate from that. But ovals are not my thing either.”
“Ten years ago I would have said yes. Now I can admit that I don’t like ovals,” Ricciardo continued. He also said a programme of road courses was of no interest to him.
“They look fun, but I think because I’m not done with Formula One yet, I haven’t really looked into it. The romantic part of it, America and all that, would be fun. But yeah, it’s more of a fantasy. “