‘He is leaving when he is kicked out,’ Mika Hakkinen thinks Daniel Ricciardo’s chances to return to F1 are low
Follow Us
Daniel Ricciardo
After McLaren chose to go for another Australian, Daniel Ricciardo has been forced to sit out Formula 1 in 2023. While he’ll stay connected to the paddock as Red Bull’s ‘third driver’ – he is not going to be there every weekend. In addition to that, his duties mostly seem to be focused on the commercial and marketing aspects. There’s almost no chance for a future race seat with them – they are not planning for him as a replacement for Sergio Perez.
This situation is made even harder for him because he did not ‘leave’ the sport on his own terms. While he did decide that it’s better to sit out the season than drive for the ‘wrong’ team, it still isn’t exactly a sabbatical. So, his situation is not similar to that of Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher, or even really to Mika Hakkinen, whose sabbatical eventually turned into retirement. All three are world champions – and weren’t forced out like Ricciardo was.
As per BBC Top Gear, the Finn feels this is exactly why it’s going to be ‘very difficult’ for the Australian to make his way back to the grid. When Hakkinen left, he left on his own terms. This isn’t the case for Ricciardo. The two-time world champion said: “I left Formula 1 in 2001. I was two times world champion, and I had a chance to have a sabbatical year. He is leaving Formula 1 unfortunately when he is kicked out.”
The grid is becoming younger and younger. Ricciardo was replaced by a rookie, and there are many other promising juniors who can make the step up. For a more long-term project, they’ll be the more suitable candidate. To get a seat back, the Australian has to prove he’s better than them: “So if you have a sabbatical and you want to come back, how can you prove you can be better? How can you prove you are a faster driver than ever? There’s a young generation, rookies coming to Formula 1: can you prove ‘I’m quicker than them’?”
Mika Hakkinen: Daniel Ricciardo is in a ‘very challenging’ situation
Daniel Ricciardo took a bit of a beating from Lando Norris, especially in 2022. He scored 115 points to Norris’ 160 in 2021, but the next season was dismal for him. He only scored 37 – while Norris took home a total of 122, and the ‘best of the rest’ moniker. So, the Australian only scored 23.2% of McLaren’s total points last season. This total isn’t particularly encouraging, and Mika Hakkinen thinks it’s going to be ‘very challenging’ for him to make a return.
“I have to apologise, I sound so negative. But it’s a reality. And it’s a very challenging situation for him.” said the Finn. While he praised Ricciardo as a ‘very nice’ person, adding that everyone in the paddock likes him, that ultimately isn’t enough to keep a driver around. They need to perform (which he was, unfortunately, unable to do consistently in the past two seasons). Hakkinen continued: “But unfortunately teams like McLaren, they want to have a winner.”
When cited that Ricciardo is actually an eight-time Grand Prix winner, Hakkinen’s retort was that he didn’t give a good account of himself against his teammate [in his time at McLaren]. When cited that other drivers return to the sport after leaving, the Finn said: “It’s easier for them because they chose to go away. They’re world champions. Very simple answer… It sounds horrible! I feel like I say such bad things here. It’s just a reality. This business here, you know? It just doesn’t give you mercy.”
Fans would love to see the ‘Honey Badger’ back on the grid, but he will have to convince the teams to give him a chance. The Red Bull third driver role is a slight advantage, but there’s clearly no future for him there – the team have made that clear. It’s not impossible, yes, but it’s definitely not going to be easy.
In case you missed it:
- “We don’t know, we tried everything,” Zak Brown feels it’s a ‘mystery’ why Daniel Ricciardo to McLaren did not work out
- “You need two drivers who deliver regularly,” Otmar Szafnauer criticises Daniel Ricciardo for his poor performances in 2022
Stay Updated!
Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)