What are Daniel Ricciardo's options for the 2023 season?
F1 News
On Wednesday afternoon, Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren announced that they will part ways after the 2022 Formula 1 season. His time at McLaren didn't work out, and therefore they have ended the contract early. The 33-year-old is a well-loved character within Formula 1, but is there a seat for him? We take a look at his options inside Formula 1.
Haas F1
Over recent days, it has emerged that Haas could be an option for Ricciardo. Kevin Magnussen arrived as a last-minute replacement for Nikita Mazepin at the start of the current season, and he has been performing well. In the other seat, Mick Schumacher has been behind his new teammate, though has improved in recent races. His performance will be under scrutiny in the second half of the year.
According to ESPN, Guenther Steiner contacted Ricciardo before the Hungarian Grand Prix to see if he was interested. Whilst it isn't the most attractive seat in Formula 1, it could be the only option for Ricciardo if he wants to extend his F1 career.
Alpine
But perhaps the most likely situation for Ricciardo to stay in Formula 1 is to move back to Alpine. After the 2020 season, Ricciardo left the team then known as Renault to make the move to McLaren. His first season at the team didn't turn out to be a great success, but he found his feat in 2020 with two podiums.
At the time, there was some speculation as to whether he was regretting making the move. He seemed to get along with the then team boss Cyril Abiteboul, who he talked into getting a tattoo following a podium bet. However, personnel has changed in the team.
Alpine themselves have actually announced two drivers for the 2023 season. Esteban Ocon is already under a long-term deal, and at the start of the summer break they announced Oscar Piastri following Fernando Alonso's shock departure. It turned out that Piastri wasn't aware of this deal. In all likelihood, it seems like the contract is off the table.
Other Formula 1 options
Alfa Romeo could be an option for Ricciardo. Guanyu Zhou's seat remains unconfirmed though it's very likely that Alfa Romeo extend that deal with the Chinese driver. The rookie's performance has got better through the year and it's a deal that keeps the money topped up. After all, they have an experienced driver in Valtteri Bottas tied down for multiple years.
One seat at Williams remains free and available. It seems that Nicholas Latifi's Formula 1 career is coming to an end, though rumours suggest that an F2 junior will fill this seat or Nyck De Vries. The final space on the grid is at AlphaTauri. It's very unlikely that Helmut Marko will want to sign a 33-year-old tried and tested driver when he wants that team to help boost his younger drivers. Whilst Ricciardo would complete the circle and go back to his roots, this seems extremely unlikely. Outside of Formula 1, Ricciardo could be destined for a seat in IndyCar or WEC.