‘Rarely smoke without fire’: Daniel Ricciardo McLaren rumours rage as US star swoops

Just as Daniel Ricciardo thought he was in the clear, there is more speculation he could lose his seat on the F1 grid at season’s end.

Daniel Ricciardo is feeling the heat. Dan Mullan/Getty Images/AFP

Just when you thought Daniel Ricciardo could breathe a mini sigh of relief, the F1 rumour mill has kicked into overdrive again.

The Australian is struggling in his second season at McLaren and is 12th in the drivers’ championship, well behind his teammate Lando Norris in seventh.

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Ricciardo broke a drought of sorts by finishing ninth at the Austrian Grand Prix on the weekend — just his third top 10 finish of the year.

But after the race he said he was underwhelmed by the result and still unhappy with the performance of his car.

Ricciardo is 18 months into a three-year deal with McLaren and those sorts of comments ring alarm bells.

There were rumours earlier this year McLaren was grooming 22-year-old IndyCar star Colton Herta to replace Ricciardo as soon as next season should his poor form continue.

Ricciardo was also given a rev-up by team boss Zak Brown, who hinted at a get-out clause in the driver’s contract, but it later emerged only Ricciardo has the option to hit the eject button on his seat F1 and leave his contract early.

Brown appeared to put those rumours to bed last week when he said the team was backing Ricciardo in to see out his contract, which expires at the end of 2023.

Speculation continues to mount around Daniel Ricciardo. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

But the F1 summer break is only two races away and the mid-year silly season is well and truly upon us.

McLaren is reportedly still considering its options for 2023 in case Ricciardo decides he doesn’t want to continue in F1.

According to the BBC’s Andrew Benson, Williams driver Alex Albon and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel have been mentioned in connection with the team.

The main contenders for the McLaren seat 👀

Who do you want to see race for the team in 2023? 💭#F1#McLaren#Motorsportpic.twitter.com/4wcqCGauwZ

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) July 12, 2022

Meanwhile, McLaren showed they have an eye to the future as Herta had his first test drive in an F1 car in Portugal this week.

The 22-year-old American is dead keen on chasing a future in F1, intensifying the heat on Ricciardo to step up.

Asked after testing if he was confident he could succeed in F1, Herta replied: “Yes, yes… you can’t say no to that question otherwise you wouldn’t be a professional driver. So yeah, I do think I’m fast enough.

“Whether they agree, I guess time will tell, and hopefully I can get more chances in the car and hopefully I can show it.

“It is a goal of mine (to drive in F1) and it has been for a while,” Herta said after testing about his F1 ambitions. There have been instances where I have been close.

“I think in this day and age, Formula 1 is definitely a young man’s game for getting into it. Luckily I have a little bit of time if the opportunity arises, but I’m not really too worried about that at the moment. I’ll just try to go as fast as I can and hopefully open some doors at some point.”

F1 fans haven’t been convinced McLaren is doing all it can to give Ricciardo a strong car that suits his driving style, and it appears increasingly obvious the 33-year-old is viewed as the team’s No. 2 driver.

During last weekend’s sprint race in Austria, Ricciardo had better pace than Norris and was right on his tail but his requests to overtake the Brit fell on deaf ears over team radio in an exchange that can only be described as frustrating.

Daniel Ricciardo’s radio transcript from lap 8 until 19.

Another team not deciding to do team orders in the sprint. And in Daniel’s case just completely ignoring him.#F1#Formula1#McLaren#F1Sprint#AustrianGPpic.twitter.com/rJZO5kvGCt

— F1 Paddock Insider (@F1Insider_) July 9, 2022

All eyes are on Ricciardo during F1’s silly season. Photo: Clive Mason/Getty Images/AFP

Pundits believe it’s even possible Ricciardo might consider leaving the grid to join McLaren’s Formula E or IndyCar teams.

Respected F1 broadcaster Will Buxton tweeted: “Age old adage there’s rarely smoke without fire in F1. While I can’t quite bring myself to believe it yet, the rumours do exist.

“While the choice, as we understand it, remains Daniel’s, could he also decide to move within the family?

“There’s rarely smoke without fire. First it was Gasly being mooted for the second McLaren F1 seat. Now (Oscar) Piastri, Albon and Vettel.

“These things don’t just magic themselves up. And while the denials are there, they haven’t been categorical in the detail.”

Ricciardo will be hoping for improved results at French and Hungarian Grands Prix later this month before F1 goes on its summer break. He may well use that time to see where his future lies.