Ricciardo denies 'irrelevant' succession plan

2 years ago 121

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) McLaren MCL36 Mercedes connected way during the F1 Grand Prix of USA astatine Circuit of The Americas connected October 23, 2022 successful Austin, Texas. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed claims that his reported determination into a reserve relation with Mercedes could spot the axed McLaren operator win seven-time satellite champion, Lewis Hamilton.

The rumour mill since the Japanese Grand Prix had suggested Ricciardo was to motion arsenic a reserve operator with Mercedes, paving the mode for a high-profile instrumentality to the grid successful the pursuing year.

However, speaking up of the Mexican Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed his tendency to transportation connected successful Formula 1, saying helium expects to widen his declaration with Mercedes beyond 2023.

Following quality of Hamilton's intentions to negociate a new, multi-year woody with Mercedes, Ricciardo has vowed his plans volition not beryllium impacted by anyone else's decisions.

"My aboriginal is not comparative to what others do," helium said.

"Opportunities volition originate erstwhile they do. But I'm not banking connected anyone doing thing truthful that I tin [step in].

"I privation to instrumentality the clip that is necessary, support a small region to the sport, to rebuild myself.

"If thing makes consciousness successful 2024 I volition travel backmost with a vengeance, person immoderate fun, and hopefully contention astatine the front."

Hamilton antecedently urged Ricciardo to cull a reserve relation successful 2023, stating the eight-time Grand Prix victor is excessively talented to beryllium connected the sidelines.

"I deliberation helium should beryllium racing, personally," Hamilton said erstwhile asked if helium would invited Ricciardo arsenic a 3rd operator with Mercedes.

"I deliberation he's acold excessively talented, and he's earned the close to beryllium amongst america each racing.

"But of course, if he's portion of our squad that'd beryllium great. But a 3rd [driver] relation is not really, I think, what's champion for him.

"If I were managing him, helium would beryllium racing."

With fewer options remaining for adjacent play arsenic openings astatine Alpine, Haas and Williams passed, Ricciardo denied that helium would privation to regenerate Hamilton.

"The information is that I privation him to enactment successful the sport," helium said.

"He's 1 of the top to ever bash it.

"Competing with him, going wheel-to-wheel with him, is awesome. I privation to bash much of that successful the future. That's wherever it presently lies."

As speculation runs rife, Mercedes squad main Toto Wolff was this week spotted wearing Ricciardo-themed merchandise successful a motion that could constituent to a done deal.

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