F1 news: Daniel Ricciardo concedes he won’t be driving in 2023 season

Daniel Ricciardo will not be on the grid in 2023 and now he risks becoming a ‘forgotten’ man in F1. Where does this leave his future? The clock is already ticking.

McLaren Racing's US CEO Zak Brown arrives in the paddock

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed the news his fans were dreading; he will not be on the grid in 2023.

Hours after it was confirmed Pierre Gasly would move to Alpine and Nyck de Vries would take Frenchman’s seat at Alpha Tauri next season, Ricciardo conceded his immediate future is not in the starting 20.

“I think the reality is now I won‘t be on the grid in 2023,” he told reporters after the qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday.

“I think it’s now just trying to set up for 2024.

“I think that there could be some better opportunities then, so that‘s really what all this confirms and now where the sights are set.

“To be honest, the Gasly news I was aware of. I knew they were they were talking for a while and I knew though they were very interested in Pierre.

Daniel Ricciardo has conceded he won’t be driving in 2023.

“Let‘s say I was prepared for that and (it was) no surprise, so we were trying to navigate our way around that and figure out what was next.”

With just two seats yet to be filled for next season - at Haas and Williams - it seems certain that Oscar Piastri will be the only Australian in F1.

The rookie replaces Ricciardo at McLaren in 2023.

While the news will surprise many with Ricciardo widely considered a formidable talent, he is adamant this is not the end of his career.

“Certainly the plan is still to be involved in F1,” Ricciardo continued.

“It‘s kind of like just hitting pause for a little bit, as I see it.

“As far as my F1 career goes, the full intention is for 2024.

“Sure, it could open up opportunities to maybe do some of that stuff (in other categories), but I if I feel it‘s going to deviate away from my target, then I will still say it’s not really where I’m looking.

“As fun or cool as it sounds to compete in something else, the truth is mentally I‘m not there yet.

“I‘m still so, so engaged in this, and I think a bit of time off out of a seat will probably do me good.

“I would probably use that as opposed to trying to jump in something else and stay busy in a different category.

“I‘d say pretty convincingly say it wouldn’t happen anywhere else.”

Ricciardo will start the Japanese Grand Prix from 11th on the grid.

His time at McLaren has been tumultuous to say the least.

This season in particular Ricciardo has been publicly shamed by team owner Zak Brown and his contract termination was a less that respectful debacle.

He was consistently out performed by his teammate Lando Norris but perhaps the lowest point was the public backing he eventually received from his superiors despite them doing a deal with Piastri at the same time.

Nonetheless Ricciardo is the only driver to have won a race in a McLaren since 2012.

Whispers of a reserve driver position at Mercedes next season continue to get louder but the only certainty it seems is he will not be a starter.

Former F1 champion Jenson Button has warned against a move to Mercedes given Lewis Hamilton’s plans to drive on.

He also warned that anything more than 12 months out of the sport and its game over.

“Being a third driver for someone of his calibre, it’s a very, very strange situation he’s found himself in,” Button told Sky Sports.

“I don’t know what he would get out of being a third driver. He’s not a young driver, so he can’t drive the car next year in race weekends (free practice), it has to be a young driver. So he wouldn’t really get anything out of it.

“I guess he’ll probably think ‘well, Lewis might retire and then I’ll jump in his seat’, but Lewis says he’s going to be around for five years.

“So he would be waiting a long time.

“So it needs to be the team where he thinks he can get a seat for 2024, otherwise it’s game over because you get forgotten after a year in F1.”

I don't want to imagine a world without Daniel Ricciardo on the F1 grid

— Matt Gallagher (@MattyWTF1) October 8, 2022

BREAKING: Daniel Ricciardo’s fans’ hearts

— mic #dankeseb! (@ricciardaniel) October 8, 2022

Only two vacant #F1 seats remain ✌️

Who do you think will be driving for @WilliamsRacing & @HaasF1Team in 2023? 🤔

— F1 Australian Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) October 8, 2022

Daniel Ricciardo prepares to race in Japan.

RICCIARDO BAN: WHY MCLAREN BOSS MUZZLED MEDIA

AFP

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton made it a Mercedes one-two ahead of title-chasing Max Verstappen in a soggy second practice on Friday for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Runaway Red Bull leader Verstappen can clinch his second straight world title on Sunday if he wins the race with the fastest lap, no matter what his rivals do.

The Dutchman will also retain his crown if he wins and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, his nearest challenger, is third or lower.

But Verstappen was beaten to the quickest time in the second practice session by the Mercedes pair, with Russell clocking a fastest lap of 1min 41.935sec.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton followed his fellow Briton 0.235sec behind, with Verstappen coming in third, a sizeable 0.851sec behind Russell.

Leclerc finished 2.774sec behind Russell in 11th.

“It wasn’t a complete disaster with the weather,” said Verstappen. “We could at least get round and do a little bit of stuff, but in terms of knowing where you are with pace, in the wet it’s always a bit tricky.” A rainy start to the session at Suzuka meant the drivers began on wet tyres but switched to intermediates once the conditions improved.

That did not satisfy Verstappen though, with the flying Dutchman telling his team “all tyres are s---, no grip”, over the radio.

Dry conditions are expected for Saturday’s qualifying but some rain is forecast again for Sunday.

“It’s just basically starting from zero tomorrow in the dry but again it’s the same for everyone and I don’t think it will make massive differences throughout the grid,” said Verstappen, 25.

Russell was happy to finish quickest after an oil leak kept him in the garage for most of the first session.

“It’s probably not going to be that representative for this weekend but definitely good learning for the future,” Russell said of the conditions.

“Nevertheless, it’s always nice to end the day top of the timesheets.” Monaco’s Leclerc bounced off the track and found himself on the gravel at one point, complaining that the jolt had damaged his front tyre.

His Ferrari team later found a problem with his brakes and called him in before sending him back out 10 minutes later.

“The feeling is totally bad for some reason, I will try to make it better,” Leclerc said over the radio.

- Hamilton savours history -

Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was fourth, followed by Haas driver Kevin Magnussen and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in sixth.

Mick Schumacher of Haas did not take part in the second practice after he crashed in the first session.

Schumacher spun into the barriers and onto the grass after the chequered flag, destroying his front wing and requiring a new chassis.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso went quickest in the wet first practice, and seventh in his Alpine in the second.

The Japanese Grand Prix returns on Sunday after a three-year absence because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fans turned up to watch practice in colourful costumes despite the grim conditions, and Hamilton said he enjoyed being back after three years away.

“It’s always special when you do your first lap out, you think of all the legends as you come up to the last chicane,” he said, recalling Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s famous collision on the course in 1989.

“You just think you are driving through a space, a point on the circuit which had so much history. At that moment you think of the time before and how privileged you are to be in the position.”

Never one to be shy, McLaren boss Zak Brown refused questions about McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo and new recruit Oscar Piastri while talking to the media at Bathurst.

Some would say that Brown, part-owner of Walkinshaw Andretti United, was a brave man for stepping foot in Australia after he terminated Ricciardo’s contract earlier this season.

The Aussie remains without an F1 contract for 2023 after being replaced by compatriot Piastri.

While Australia retains a drive on the F1 grid, there was a significant outpouring of anger directed at Brown and his McLaren team for the manner in which Ricciardo’s sacking was handled.

WHAT ABOUT THE F1 SPENDING CAP

Whether he anticiapted a grilling on the F1 contract debacle or not, Brownb was clear he would refuse any questin pertaining to the Aussie duo or his F1 team.

He did however touch on the spending cap scandal currently dominating the sport.

Both Red Bull and Aston Martin are alleged to have breach the $222 million spending limits in the 2021 season and if found guilty face significant sanctions.

Brown urged swift and strict punishments from the FIA.

“I don’t know more than anyone else other than the certificates were supposed to be distributed on Wednesday and they’ve now been postponed to Monday, which means for some reason they’re not ready which you can, based on the speculation, assume a team or two haven’t complied,” Brown said.

“I don’t know that to be the case.

“The cost cap is critically important and we need to make sure it’s enforced if someone has breached that the appropriate penalties, not just financial, but specifically sporting and technical are put in place because if you bend the rules technically in sporting you get penalties and financial should be the same.

“Because if someone has over-spent that gives them an on-track unfair advantage and needs to be dealt with accordingly, firmly and quickly.”

Brown missed out on his team’s emphatic victory at Mount Panorama in 2021 which saw Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth dominate depsite tyre issues.

Having not attending the Great Race since 2019, Brown was happy to be back.

“I’m bummed I missed last year. I watched it the entire time.

“Bruce owes me a trophy, so in case he’s watching this, Bruce where’s my trophy?”

WELCOME TO THE AUSSIE BOSS

Brown backed former Formula One race director Michael Masi’s recent appointment as Supercars commission chairman.

Masi has taken on the key role in Supercars after his controversial exit from F1

“I like Michael, we’re going to get a bite to eat later. I was a fan of his in Formula One,” Brown said.

“It’s unfortunate what happened there, I think he is a very good race steward and he is a racer so I am glad to see that he is in Supercars because I think he adds value.”

Brown said he was excited to be in Australia to watch the Bathurst 1000.

“This is my second time at Bathurst, first time in Australia in a few years since the pandemic,” Brown said.

“The biggest race of the year, we won it last year, got to watch it on TV, got the trophy but I want to come here and get on the podium.

“I’m excited to be here.”