As rumours swirl about Daniel Ricciardo’s future in Formula 1, the Australian star has revealed whether he’ll be driving in 2023.
Daniel Ricciardo has issued a defiant statement about his future in F1 as rumours swirl about his McLaren contract.
The Australian, who is 18 months into a three-year contract with the Woking-based team, has struggled to silence his critics this year following an underwhelming 2021 F1 campaign.
Ricciardo is 12th in the drivers’ standings after 11 races with 17 points, sitting comfortably below McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who is in seventh on 64 points.
Watch Every Practice, Qualifying & Race of the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship™ Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Rumours have emerged that McLaren is grooming 22-year-old IndyCar driver Colton Herta to replace Ricciardo, should the Aussie’s poor form continue.
McLaren team boss Zak Brown appeared to put those rumours to bed last week, backing Ricciardo to see out his contract.
But the F1 summer break is only two races away and the mid-year silly season is well and truly upon us.
Pundits believe it’s even possible Ricciardo might consider leaving the grid to join McLaren’s Formula E or IndyCar teams.
On Wednesday night, Ricciardo released a statement to his social media channels assuring fans he was not going anywhere and retirement wasnt’t an option.
“There have been a lot of rumours around my future in Formula 1, but I want you to hear it from me,” he wrote.
“I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and am not walking away from the sport. Appreciate it hasn’t always been easy, but who wants easy!
“I’m working my a** off with the team to make improvements and get the car right and back to the front where it belongs. I still want this more than ever.
“See you in Le Castellet.”
The 33-year-old rediscovered some momentum at the Red Bull Ring on Sunday, finishing ninth in the Austrian Grand Prix — just his third top 10 finish of the year — after a disappointing qualifying session where he was knocked out in Q1.
But speaking to reporters after the race, Ricciardo confessed he was still underwhelmed by the result and unhappy with the car’s performance.
Meanwhile, Herta intensified the heat on Ricciardo by professing he was dead keen on chasing a future in F1.
Asked after testing in Portugal last week if he was confident he could succeed in the sport, 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. 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.”
Ricciardo will be praying for improved results in France and Hungary later this month before F1 goes on its summer break.
Originally published as ‘Want you to hear it from me’: Ricciardo issues statement on F1 future as rumours swirl
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
