F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo Comes To Terms With No Seat For 2023
McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has admitted that he’s accepted the fact that he may not be racing in F1 next year after his contract with the British team was cancelled.
Only a few weeks ago, it was confirmed that both McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo had come to the conclusion that his contract would end a year early after poor performance compared to British driver Lando Norris. This has allowed McLaren to sign Oscar Piastri for 2023 after the drama ended between him and Alpine.
The Australian driver is now looking for a future in the sport, even as a reserve driver, but he’s coming to grips with the fact that he may not find a seat with competitive teams having next to no options available.
“I’ve certainly accepted, if I’m not to be on the grid next year, I’m okay with that,” Ricciardo said at the Italian Grand Prix.
“So I’ve accepted that I’m not going to do everything, or my [management] team’s not going to do everything, just to put me on the grid if it’s not right or it doesn’t make sense.
“Obviously this year’s been challenging and if I am on the grid, I want to know that it’s a place that I can enjoy it and feel like I can thrive. An environment I feel I can thrive in.
“I don’t want to just jump into a car for the sake of it.”
With the Singapore Grand Prix now over two weeks away, he’ll be using this time to put together a plan for his future.
“Days like this certainly are pretty frustrating,” he said after finishing the race in P8 with a safety car ending. “But give it 24, 48 hours and I’ll get over it and try to understand what’s best for next year.
“Not in an overconfident or cocky way, but it’s not meant to be, then I’m totally okay with that. I’m not going to be too proud.
“We haven’t certainly given up on it, but that’s kind of where my head’s at, at the moment.”
