Formula 1

Ricciardo unsure of F1 future post-McLaren exit

Daniel Ricciardo says he’s “not sure yet” where he will be racing next year after announcing he'll leave McLaren at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season.

Haydn Cobb

Haydn Cobb

Edited: Aug 24, 2022, 11:33 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Fernando Alonso, Alpine A522, Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL36

The eight-time F1 race winner will split with McLaren after this season, one year earlier than his initial contract with the Woking-based team after struggling for performance and the team’s car.

Ricciardo, who is now a free agent for next year, is uncertain where he’ll race but remains confident he still has the fight to compete at the top level.

“I think for the future, what lies ahead, I am not sure yet… I am not sure yet. But we’ll see,” Ricciardo said in a social media post on his personal channel confirming the news.

“I look back at this time with McLaren with a smile. I learnt a lot about myself and I think things that will help me with the next step in my career but also just in general, in life.

He added: “The sport, I still love it… I still love it. This hasn’t effected any of that. I still have that fire in me and that belief in my belly that I can do this at the highest level.”

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, on the grid with his engineer

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, on the grid with his engineer

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Despite a tough couple of seasons with McLaren, Ricciardo becomes one of the most enticing options on the driver market given his wealth of experience and previous success in F1.

Options for a race seat in F1 for 2023 are limited though, but Ricciardo could remain on the grid next season with Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas or Williams, which are all yet to officially finalise their respective driver line-ups for next year. 

Read Also:

Ricciardo also revealed more detail on the mutual agreement with McLaren to go their separate ways at the end of the season, and that he wants to end his time at the team on a high.

“We had a lot of discussions but in the end we mutually decided it was the best thing for both of us. I will continue to do the rest of this year, absolutely, and I’ll continue to give it my all,” he said.

“From a result point of view, for sure, consistently to get the results and the form that I was after it wasn’t always there and it was tough. I felt those absolutely. But I also have many happy memories of my time at the team.

“I think about Monza, I think about standing on the top step, I think about bringing the team their first win since 2012. That sort of stuff was awesome, to see the smiles on everyone’s faces and to be in that moment. That’s something I’ll never forget so there is a lot of good stuff to take from this as well.”

 

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article What are Ricciardo’s options to stay in Formula 1?

Next article Ricciardo: “No regrets” over F1 time at McLaren despite early split

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Haydn Cobb



McLaren to use final 2026 developments to test 2027 F1 car concepts

Formula 1

Formula 1

McLaren to use final 2026 developments to test 2027 F1 car concepts



Christian Horner opens up on Red Bull F1 exit: “Perhaps it was perceived I had too much influence over the team”

Formula 1

Formula 1

Christian Horner opens up on Red Bull F1 exit: “Perhaps it was perceived I had too much influence over the team”



The Red Bull seat nobody is talking about – and why that's the biggest compliment of all

Formula 1

Hungarian GP

The Red Bull seat nobody is talking about – and why that's the biggest compliment of all

More from

Daniel Ricciardo



Daniel Ricciardo shares heartfelt message after first Indy 500 visit brought back "childhood feelings"

Formula 1

Formula 1

Barcelona-Catalunya GP

Daniel Ricciardo shares heartfelt message after first Indy 500 visit brought back "childhood feelings"



Lando Norris reunites with Daniel Ricciardo for Indy 500 celebrations after disastrous Canadian GP

Formula 1

Formula 1

Canadian GP

Lando Norris reunites with Daniel Ricciardo for Indy 500 celebrations after disastrous Canadian GP



Daniel Ricciardo says life feels "more real" after abrupt F1 exit

Formula 1

Formula 1

Canadian GP

Daniel Ricciardo says life feels "more real" after abrupt F1 exit

More from

McLaren



The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

22 h

The figures that show Mercedes has lost its supremacy in F1 2026



McLaren held fresh talks after Singapore GP clash as Lando Norris promises to "make better decisions"

Formula 1

Formula 1

United States GP

McLaren held fresh talks after Singapore GP clash as Lando Norris promises to "make better decisions"



Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Formula 1

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Latest news



Autosport Business Exchange New York Examines the Forces Driving Racing’s Next Era of Growth in America

General

Misc General 36 min

Autosport Business Exchange New York Examines the Forces Driving Racing’s Next Era of Growth in America



Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team

Formula E

FE Formula E 42 min

Dan Ticktum secures Formula E Gen4 berth with newly-acquired Fortescue Zero team



Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

1 h

Marc Marquez targeting “as close to 37 points as possible” at Aprilia-friendly Phillip Island



Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?

WEC

WEC WEC

Losail

1 h

Porsche's IMSA GTP programme set to end: Could Penske switch to Cadillac?

Feature

Discover prime content



How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect

Formula 1

United States GP

By Filip Cleeren

How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect



Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Formula 1

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40



How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1



Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Formula 1

Singapore GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Lights, Camara, action: How Haas picked F1's latest rookie for 2027

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe