F1 Australian Grand Prix 2023: Alan Jones doubts Daniel Ricciardo will race again in Formula One

Fears Daniel Ricciardo will never secure another F1 drive are mounting with a number of former world champions calling the Aussie out for being too distracted by life off the track.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia

Formula One great Alan Jones doubts Daniel Ricciardo will ever race in F1 again as fellow world champion Damon Hill says he remains mystified as to why the Australian’s career fell away so dramatically.

As Ricciardo prepares to take in his home Grand Prix at Albert Park behind the scenes in his role as Red Bull’s third driver, Hill said he rated the Australian a 50-50 chance of reclaiming a spot on the F1 grid for 2024.

But Jones was less convinced there would be an opening anywhere for Ricciardo next year, questioning whether Ricciardo had been focused enough on his job behind the wheel over his outside marketing interests.

Ricciardo, 33, was dumped by McLaren last year after two underperforming seasons for the papaya outfit and opted for a support role with his former team Red Bull for 2023 rather than pushing for a seat with a backmarker.

As world champion Max Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez occupy the top two spots in the F1 drivers’ championship for Red Bull, Jones felt the chances of Ricciardo returning to race for a second stint with the team were slim – and his prospects not much better elsewhere.

“I don’t think he will get a drive at Red Bull unless something happens to the two current drivers, I can’t see him doing a Grand Prix,” Jones said.

“I doubt (he will be on the grid in 2024). At the end of the day there is probably no reason why Red Bull won’t re-sign Perez and obviously Verstappen (is locked in) and I can’t see anybody at Ferrari resigning or going away, so I just can’t see where he can go.

“Obviously everybody likes to go out on a high note and it’s just unfortunate that for whatever reason, and I don’t even think he knows himself, why his performance dropped off.

“As I said before, I just can’t see him getting back into Formula One.”

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Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (L) and Australian Daniel Ricciardo

Jones’ comments came as Ricciardo last week outlined his personal ambitions for his year off the grid and his focus on being a “team player” for Red Bull in 2023, while acknowledging the “competitor in me wanting to remind people that I’m still here”.

Asked where it went wrong for Ricciardo, 1980 world champion Jones, who will commentate for Channel 10 alongside Hill at this week’s Australian Grand Prix, suggested the popular Perth racer could have been too distracted by his outside interests.

“I don’t think he even knows himself, I just think he went off the boil,” Jones said.

“Really, in my own opinion, I think he concentrated and spent a bit too much time for his activities out of the cockpit rather than in it. That’s my opinion.”

Hill rated Ricciardo’s chances of a return to the grid as even, but remained mystified as to what “went missing” for him behind the wheel.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing

“I would say it’s 50-50 if he will ever get back in an F1 car at the moment,” Hill said.

“He is a very popular guy, he is clearly someone that has brought a lot of colour and a lot of amusement, his never say die attitude has been impressive and his race wins as well, his driving.

“But something went missing, we are not sure where. It just disappeared and it is as mystifying to me, probably as it is to him.”

But Hill felt Ricciardo had made the right call to take a step back this year rather than pursue a drive with a lowly-ranked team in 2023.

“It’s very difficult when you have been at the sharp end to race in Formula One and be motivated if you are in a less competitive car,” the 1996 world champion said.

“I think that’s the big worry, if you drive a less competitive car, you lose your mojo.

“That’s the last thing he needs to do right now is appear to be unmotivated.”