Baffling fact behind Daniel Ricciardo's looming F1 absence
Daniel Ricciardo's decision to take a year-long F1 sabbatical next season has flown in the face of conventional wisdom in the sport - particularly since there's still a seat waiting for him if he wants it.
After two troubled seasons at McLaren in which he has generally been well off the pace of teammate Lando Norris, Ricciardo reached an agreement with the team to end their agreement a year early.
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It has made Ricciardo a free agent for 2023, but the West Australian has remained insistent that he will only compete in F1 if he is given machinery capable of race wins.
Many F1 observers have questioned the wisdom of his stance, believing Ricciardo won't be able to re-establish his credentials as a race-winning F1 force from the sidelines next season.
It's also unlikely that a spot at any of the top teams will become available, with the likes of Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari seemingly locked in to future driver lineups.
Equally unlikely would be a return to leading midfield contenders McLaren and Alpine, whom Ricciardo has raced for previously - albeit with some degree of success.
The only teams looking to fill seats for next season are Williams and Haas, and the latter's team principal Guenther Steiner says Ricciardo could still be just a phone call away from racing on next year.
“If he’s interested in us, he’s not shy to call me up. I am not going to chase him down,” Steiner said.
“I want him to decide what he wants to do for himself, first, before being talked into something.
“I think he’s a good driver and I don’t know how he got in the situation he’s in now, but I think he needs to come clean with himself and decide what he’s going to do.”
The 33-year-old Australian driver, an eight-time race winner, came to a mutual agreement with McLaren in August to leave the team at the end of the 2022 campaign.
He will be replaced at McLaren next season by fellow Aussie driver Oscar Piastri, winner of back to back championships in F3 and F2.
Daniel Ricciardo set on 'hitting pause' on Formula 1 career
Ricciardo confirmed that although he couldn't secure a seat for next season, his career in F1 is not over.
"Certainly the plan is still to be involved in F1," he told English newspaper the Mirror. "It's kind of like just hitting pause for a little bit, as I see it — and let's say as far as my F1 career goes the full intention is (to be driving) for '24."
Ricciardo enters this Sunday's United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, in 12th place in the driver standings.
His most recent win came at the Italian Grand Prix in September 2021.
Williams and Haas don't offer any appeal to the eight-time race winner, however his announcement that 'the reality is now I won't be on the grid' has left many fans and F1 observers concerned he could be lost to the sport.
It would be a rare feat if Ricciardo were to sit out for a year and then make a return to a competitive team in 2024, but the 33-year-old remains adamant he is not finished in F1.
“I think the reality is now I won‘t be on the grid in 2023,” he said.
“I think it’s now just trying to set up for 2024."
An unlikely reunion with Alpine (formerly Renault) would have been Ricciardo's best chance of landing a competitive seat for next season, but after he left the team to join McLaren in 2021 there was little interest from the French manufacturer.
With AAP
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