Daniel Ricciardo celebrates his win at the 2021 Italian GP (Credits: F1 Twitter)
Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of 2022 season after mutually agreeing to end the contract one year early
Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren for 2021 on a three-year deal, racing alongside Lando Norris, and while he secured the team’s first win since 2012 at Monza last year – with Norris second – he has struggled to match his team mate’s very impressive pace. On the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, as Formula 1 returns from its summer break, Ricciardo and McLaren announced they would complete the final nine races of the year together before going their separate ways. McLaren say they will announce who will partner Norris in 2023 “in due course”. Ricciardo will do the same regarding his own future plans, but suggested he’s keen to stay in F1.
In a video message posted on social media, Ricciardo said – “It’s been a privilege to be a part of the McLaren Racing family for the last two seasons but following several months of discussions with Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO] & Andreas [Seidl, Team Principal] we have decided to terminate my contract with the team early and agree to mutually part ways at the end of this season. I’ll be announcing my own future plans in due course but regardless of what this next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I gave McLaren, especially the win in Monza, last season.”
According to reports, Daniel Ricciardo received messages from Haas team principal Guenther Steiner at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix on July 31 ahead of the summer break. Now after leaving McLaren, Ricciardo has been the subject of silly rumours. amidst all the drama, there is a possibility that Ricciardo could sign a contract with Haas for 2023.
Haas’ F1 2023 driver line-up will include Kevin Magnussen who is contracted on a multi-year deal but Mick Schumacher’s current contract expires at the end of 2022, and his future is uncertain.That is where Ricciardo reportedly may come in.
Alpine are also a serious option for Ricciardo. He represented them when the team was known as Renault.Ricciardo is currently paid £12.2m by McLaren this season – making him the fifth-highest earner on the grid. Schumacher is paid less than £1m this season so accommodating Ricciardo’s wages may be an issue for Haas.
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