Daniel Ricciardo addresses 2023 reserve driver role prospects amid Red Bull speculation
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Daniel Ricciardo (IMAGO / Action Plus)
There has been a lot of speculation on social media regarding Daniel Ricciardo’s future in Formula 1. Haas are the only team to not confirm their lineup (or in case of Williams, potential lineup) as of yet, but the Australian does not seem too keen on that. Recently, Ted Kravitz seemed to confirm that he has bagged a reserve driver role…but not for Mercedes. Some pose Red Bull as the potential destination.
However, speaking to The Race, Ricciardo said that he has not nailed down a deal for 2023, but said that he is in some discussions. With what teams? He did not say: “I don’t. For now, everything’s just rumours. Am I talking? Yes, but there’s no pen on paper or anything like that.”
But he also confirmed that he is not planning to completely disconnect from Formula 1: “I will still be around because I still have ambitions for 2024, so I won’t completely disconnect from the sport. But obviously nothing’s guaranteed for ’24. I don’t have a seat that I can say I’m going to definitely be driving, but I’ll still be around and trying to put work in to be back.”
Daniel Ricciardo not interested in IndyCar
Zak Brown had made an offer to Daniel Ricciardo in the McLaren family. But instead of Formula 1, he would be going over to the IndyCar series. This wasn’t something he was too keen on, and now, the ‘Honey Badger’ has reaffirmed that he is not looking to move across into IndyCar. His focus is on Formula 1.
Why not? He cited ‘ovals’ as the reason: “Ovals scare me. My Formula 1 career/ambition is not over, so that’s really first and foremost. I don’t want to deviate, I would say primarily for that reason. But also, ovals: no. Ten years ago I would have said yes, but I’m OK to admit that I’m not OK with ovals.”
So where does Daniel Ricciardo’s future lie? It’s all a bit hazy at the moment. People would surely love to see the Australian remain in F1, but the hope of a racing seat for next year is all but gone. But one thing seems to be clear: Formula 1 is the priority, and he may not even be looking into anything else.
The last 4 races will be the chance for Daniel Ricciardo to once again prove his mettle, but he has started poorly in that respect, with him only qualifying P16 compared to teammate Lando Norris, who will start P6. The US GP is also important for the P4 battle with Alpine, and both Fernando Alonso (P14) and Esteban Ocon (P17) will start outside the points.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)