Formula 1 2023: Ex-world champion Jenson Button’s bleak warning for Daniel Ricciardo

Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo’s plans to take a year out from the sport are set to backfire badly.

Daniel Ricciardo is set to sit out 2023. Picture: AFP

Former world champion Jenson Button has cast doubt on whether Daniel Ricciardo will be able to return to the Formula One grid with a competitive team if he sits out 2023.

Doubling down on his concerns that Riccardo’s plans to take on a reserve driver role over a starting seat with a lower-ranked team were the wrong move, Button said the Australian risked being remembered only by his on-track struggles of the past two years.

Riccardo, 33, appears set to sit out the 2023 F1 season with his options for a seat evaporating after he was ditched by McLaren for Australian young gun Oscar Piastri.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner has been linked to reserve driver roles at Mercedes and his former team Red Bull, having shown little interest in the remaining seat at Haas.

But 2009 F1 world champion Button said Riccardo was wrongly dismissing the “better move” for his career.

“I guess he didn’t want to drop too far down the grid and work with a team that’s more towards the rear because it’s difficult for a driver coming from a team that is almost winning races, at times, to suddenly know you’re fighting for points,” Button told Sky Sports.

Daniel Ricciardo is set to sit out 2023. Picture: AFP

“It is tough. But I still think it would have been a better move for him.

“Go into a team, work hard, show people what you can do, in a car that maybe suits you a bit more, and then people forget what happened the year before.

“That’s the issue now, people forget how good Ricciardo is because he’s had such a difficult year-and-half or two years.

“But he has the talent, and in a car that suits him, he would show his skill and then he has the opportunity to race in a top team again. But sitting out? People just remember what happened last year. It’s a tricky one and I really struggle to see him coming back to a competitive team after having a year out.”

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Button’s comments came after Ricciardo delivered a reminder of his driving ability at the Mexican Grand Prix earlier this week.

Fighting back from a 10-second penalty for his part in a collision with Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo stormed through the field to claim seventh place for McLaren.

In his third-best result in what has been a challenging year for the Perth racer, Ricciardo’s efforts were also recognised with the driver of the day honours by fans.

Daniel Ricciardo produced a strong race at the Mexico Grand Prix Picture: AFP

Speaking after the Mexican GP, Ricciardo again stressed his plans were to focus on securing a reserve driver role for next year with the view to relaunching on the grid again in 2024.

Ricciardo felt the time away from a full-time race seat would “do me good”.

“I still want to be in the sport, and I want to be working with a team still with the ambition to be back on the grid in 2024,” Ricciardo said.

“I feel like a bit of time away from a race seat will do me good, and then try to rebuild on something for 2024.

“I’m not done but it will look a bit different.”

Ricciardo sits 12th in the F1 driver standings this year – his lowest standing since 2013 – with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in seventh position.

Originally published as Formula 1 2023: Ex-world champion Jenson Button’s bleak warning for Daniel Ricciardo