McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo has all but confirmed that he will not be racing in Formula 1 in 2023 following his McLaren departure.
Ricciardo started his career in 2011 with HRT, and an impressive half season with them on loan from the Red Bull programme earned him a drive with the Austrian team’s junior side, Toro Rosso.
After partnering Jean-Eric Vergne there for two seasons, the Australian was promoted to Red Bull to replace the retiring Mark Webber, and he won three races in his debut season in the main fold.
Perhaps more strikingly, he out-performed four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who would join Ferrari a year later.
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Ricciardo added four more wins to his tally between 2016 and 2018, and left after Max Verstappen established himself as the number one.
Two years and as many podiums followed with Renault, before the Perth-born racer turned to McLaren for the start of the 2021 season.
That deal had been agreed at the start of the 2020 campaign, so there was a huge build-up of anticipation of Ricciardo’s partnership with Lando Norris.
However, the 33-year-old has not found the form we have seen him deliver so many times in his career, with the car never truly looking suited to his style.
Asides from his victory at the Italian Grand Prix last season, Ricciardo has never really climbed on top of those issues, and it was agreed midway through the 2022 campaign that he will be leaving in December.
McLaren have signed Alpine reserve, Oscar Piastri, to replace him, and we now know that the French side have acquired Pierre Gasly from AlphaTauri to drive for them alongside Esteban Ocon in 2023.
The Faenza-based squad will employ Nyck de Vries next year, while Haas are thought to be deciding between Mick Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg.
That leaves only Williams, but Ricciardo, who has previously affirmed that he wants a competitive drive, is not thought to be considering them, or vice versa.
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The eight-time race winner qualified 11th, one position behind Norris, at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, and in McLaren’s media scrum, the Aussie stated that he is not going to be a factor next year.
“I think the reality is now I won’t be won’t be on the grid in 2023,” said Ricciardo, per Autosport.
McLaren are four points ahead of Alpine in the battle for fourth in the championship, so Ricciardo will want to help his team hold that position before he leaves.