Ricciardo's 'realistic' plan to race next year

2 years ago 117

Daniel Ricciardo is considering a stint arsenic a Formula 1 reserve operator arsenic his options to stay connected the grid adjacent twelvemonth adust up.

Just 3 spots stay within the 2023 operator line-up aft Alfa Romeo precocious retained Chinese operator Zhou Guanyu for adjacent season.

A reunion with Alpine (formally Renault) seems disconnected the cards with the squad determined to container Pierre Gasly from Red Bull's sister team, AlphaTauri. However, aft committing to a one-year declaration extension successful June, the squad volition lone merchandise the Frenchman if it has an contiguous replacement lined up.

Ricciardo has been linked with Haas successful aggregate reports, but those talks look to person stalled, and with Williams the lone different vacant seat, it seems progressively apt that the 33-year-old volition gaffe down the grid oregon walk a twelvemonth retired of the sport.

Ricciardo had antecedently floated taking a one-year sabbatical successful 2023 if his options became limited, but speaking up of the Singapore Grand Prix, helium suggested that spending immoderate clip wrong a apical squad successful a reserve relation could beryllium his astir applicable bet.

"They're the 2 realistic options," helium said.

"It's possible. These are each things I'm weighing up.

"I know, having been done the past fewer years, there's thing [about] — evidently Monza past twelvemonth was the best-case script — warring for a win.

"What warring astatine the beforehand does — erstwhile you've had that taste, it's real. That's yet wherever I privation to be.

"I conjecture I don't privation to conscionable contention to race. I privation to contention with a existent content and knowing that I could beryllium backmost connected the podium."

With 11 seasons of acquisition and 8 expansive prix wins to his name, Ricciardo is by acold the astir credentialed escaped cause successful this year's silly season, truthful it would beryllium an unconventional determination to regress to a reserve relation usually held by juniors.

However, positioning himself successful a apical squad could elevate the Western Australian to full-time spot astatine a competitory squad should a spot unexpectedly go disposable successful 2024.

Championship powerhouses Mercedes could beryllium an enactment with existent reserve operator Nyck de Vries catching the attraction of team's by scoring points successful his F1 debut astatine the Italian Grand Prix.

Test operator Stoffel Vandoorne is besides tipped to depart the Silver Arrows adjacent year.

However, arsenic determination is nary assurance successful F1, Ricciardo acknowledges that the strategy has agelong likelihood of delivering success.

Ricciardo bombs successful Belgium

"In an perfect world, [that's the plan], but I cognize that if I take to instrumentality a reserve relation oregon not contention adjacent year, nothing's guaranteed," helium said.

"So that comes astatine a risk, but that's what we're weighing up.

"At this signifier I deliberation particularly with a apical squad determination are nary guarantees.

"Of people program A would beryllium to beryllium connected the grid, truthful nothing's changed, but … I cognize the scenery astir apt changes arsenic good astatine the extremity of adjacent twelvemonth with contracts and whatever.

"I'm conscionable inactive discussing — I don't privation to accidental remaining diligent but conscionable accidental remaining open."

The Perth section returned location successful the two-week interruption pursuing the Italian Grand Prix. He said that being distant from the athletics had proved however overmuch helium wants to stay successful F1 but besides offered contentment astatine a aboriginal retired of it.

"After Monza we did a spot of sim and immoderate mill worldly but past I got to get home, and it was benignant of conscionable bully being astir household and switching disconnected and spending immoderate clip astatine the workplace and adjacent conscionable doing amusive things — riding bikes and conscionable being a spot of a kid again," helium said.

"That benignant of stuff's cool, but adjacent getting backmost successful the paddock today, I saw Tom [Stallard], my technologist and I felt similar I hadn't seen for a while. I benignant of missed him!

"A small spot of clip distant is powerful. It reminds you however overmuch you miss it.

"If I'm not to beryllium racing, past I consciousness similar determination could beryllium a blessing successful each that. It could similar marque maine freaking commencement foaming astatine the rima wanting to get back.

"That's wherefore I'm pumped to beryllium connected the grid again, but I'm besides seeing positives if that's not the case.

"That's wherefore I'm astatine bid with whatever's going to hap successful '23, due to the fact that I consciousness similar everything's going to hap for a reason. All these things volition marque sense."

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