Track Torque podcast: Daniel Ricciardo linked to Mercedes for 2023, yet Haas and Williams remain possibilities

In keeping with how his 2022 season has panned out, the joy of greeting the chequered flag in 2021 was replaced with a slow climb out of his broken down McLaren as the race ended under safety car control with Max Verstappen in front.

The controversial finish was out of Ricciardo’s control, similar in so many ways to how his future is panning out.

After his contract for 2023 with McLaren was mutually terminated, the likelihood Ricciardo finds another permanent drive is growing ever more uncertain.

The hot rumour around Monza on Thursday involved Ricciardo linking with Mercedes next season as their reserve driver behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

The talk didn’t go away all weekend.

“Mercedes are definitely interested. They are like, ‘Yeah, if he’s keen we’re keen’,” The Times Motor racing Correspondent Rebecca Clancy told CODE Sports’ Track Torque podcast from Italy. “Mercedes would love him as their reserve driver because he brings experience, the talent, absolute marketers dream.”

Lewis Hamilton said it best, though: Ricciardo is way too talented to be working as the reserve guy, working in a simulator or a back room.

It remains a strong possibility, though.

Ricciardo’s options seem to rest with cars well down the grid. The best-case scenario for a full-time drive is with Alpine (formerly Renault). The French outfit have made no public utterances concerning a Ricciardo return. In fact, despite being spurned by a young Australian in Oscar Piastri, speculation is mounting Jack Doohan could make a run at the spare Alpine seat.

For Ricciardo, other options would be Haas or Williams, who are both having disheartening 2022 seasons, sitting seventh and 10th in the constructors’ championship respectively.

“He is talking to all the teams, there are some options, he doesn’t want to be uncompetitive though,” Clancy added on Track Torque. “The discussions (with Mercedes) will keep rolling, they don’t really need to make a decision until March next year, or testing, maybe in February.”

The very real possibility of Ricciardo missing from the grid next season further diminishes the experience in Formula One and with it the intertwining of drivers at various parts of their careers.

Hamilton’s 103 race wins from 304 starts leaves him without peer in every generation, but aside from him, Verstappen (31 wins) and Fernando Alonso (32 race wins) no other driver scheduled to race in 2023 will have more than 10 race wins to their names.

Alonso, at 41, is racing on, replacing another former world champion in Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. Vettel is retiring at the end of the season, taking with him 300 races of experience and 53 race wins.

The added absence of Ricciardo, with over 230 races of experience and a lively persona, would be a big blow to the sport according close observers in the paddock. As it stands, he would be replaced by Piastri, with another 21-year-old, American Logan Sargeant, a chance to be in a Williams seat.

“[Ricciardo] is a proven performer and quite frankly the sport needs people like him,” Clancy says. “These young drivers who are coming in, their whole lives are racing, don’t make for the most interesting people.

“You need the slightly older guys. Drive to Survive needs them, F1 needs them, we all need them. I’m not in love with how the grid is shaping up next season.”