‘Sorry buddy’: Lewis Hamilton‘s Daniel Ricciardo reality check

The F1 rumour mill went into overdrive as Daniel Ricciardo’s path to a top team seemed clear, until Lewis Hamilton intervened.

Lewis Hamilton has poured cold water on rumours Aussie Daniel Ricciardo’s next role could be a reserve driver for Mercedes, with a view to taking over from the seven-time world champion.

The F1 rumour mill went into overdrive after Ricciardo was cut loose from McLaren to make room for fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri, leaving the veteran few options anywhere near the front of the grid.

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With McLaren clearly out and a path to the top three teams doubtful at best, Alpine seems the next best option, although the team is expected to sign AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly.

It doesn’t leave many attractive options for Ricciardo, who was caught on a hot mic stating to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez he would be looking to take a year off before coming back in 2024.

That was until he was linked to a move to Mercedes as the reserve driver behind Hamilton and George Russell.

The 33-year-old Ricciardo is four years younger than Hamilton and would provide Mercedes with an experienced driver to fill the seat should the seven-time world champion decide to pull the plug on his career.

Only Hamilton has no plans to move on.

‘Are you sure you don’t want to retired,” Daniel Ricciardo, probably. Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Asked ahead of the Italian Grand Prix about leaving F1, Hamilton shut down suggestions he was looking for the exit.

“For years we’ve going around, up-and-down with stories of retirement, stopping,” said the Briton.

“For me, I feel healthier than I’ve ever felt. I’m feeling fit, I love what I’m doing. And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon – sorry buddy (to Ricciardo).

“But, my goal was always to be with Mercedes since I signed with them in 1997.

“I love that we have the long partnership we have. I feel like we are embarking on a lot of really positive things – not only in the sport, but outside.

“And I think there’s a lot to accomplish together.

“So, I want to be a part of that. I think I’ll always be with Mercedes – till the day I die. I feel like I can race for quite a bit longer. I’ll potentially be steering towards that.”

However, Hamilton said Ricciardo deserved to be in a seat, despite the options being limited for 2023.

“I think he should be racing,” he said.

“He has earned the right to be amongst us all racing but of course if he is a part of our team that would be great. If I was his manager, he would be racing.”

When Ricciardo was asked about any discussions about joining Mercedes, he replied: “No comment.”

At least Daniel Ricciardo is still having fun. Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

“The truth is I am keeping every option for next year and for the future,” he said.

“I still don’t know what next year looks like. I do want to be on the grid, I do want to race.

“I touched on it a few weeks ago, although this has been certainly a challenging time in my career, it hasn’t taken the love of the sport away from me and that desire to still be here and compete.

“Obviously, many talks or thoughts about next year and beyond that (have taken place), but I’m still not sure what that looks like.”

However, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell told reported he’d love to have Ricciardo on the team.

“I’ve not heard any reports or heard anything but I think Daniel’s track record speaks for itself really – he’s a driver deserving of a seat on the Formula 1 grid and it would be a real shame for him to not be there next season,” Russell said.

“But obviously from our side having a driver of his calibre joining the team in any capacity would be a real boost. He’s a driver I get along with. I just hope he stays on the grid and in the sport.”

In 2019 when Ricciardo joined Renault, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had caught their eye but didn’t end up pulling the trigger.

“We always had an eye on Daniel … we really like him in here,” Wolff said at the time. “It’s just the mentality in Mercedes – I sometimes feel if you’re happy in your relationship it is not always easy (to change).

“It is like being married, you need to be 100 per cent behind it. It was not a lack of interest, it was just that we were in a happy relationship and there was no need to flirt with another woman at that stage.”