More F1 options open up for Dan
MICK Schumacher and Nicholas Latifi are expected to vacate their respective seats with Haas and Williams at the end of the Formula 1 season, freeing up a further two places on the grid for Daniel Ricciardo – if he is interested.
Ricciardo’s future has been the subject of much speculation since he confirmed a split with McLaren a year early prior to the Belgian Grand Prix.
The West Australian has just eight drives remaining with McLaren to sell himself to prospective teams for 2023 and it wasn’t a promising first outing at Spa, finishing 15th.
With the FIA Contract Recognition Board (CRB) meeting this week to rule on McLaren and Alpine’s contract dispute around rookie Australian Oscar Piastri, the result of that hearing looms as a key domino for driver movement.
Reports claim Piastri is no longer Alpine’s preferred driver to take the seat of the outgoing Fernando Alonso and that the French team hopes to use any funds from winning the contract dispute with McLaren to buy out Pierre Gasly from his AlphaTauri deal.
Ricciardo was initially linked to a return to Alpine, for whom he drove in 2019-20 as Renault, however Gasly is considered the paddock favourite to partner Esteban Ocon. That left very few options open for Ricciardo in 2023.
But now with news that Schumacher and Latifi are not expected to remain with Haas and Williams beyond the 2022 season, the door is ajar for the Australian to find a new home.
But it’s unclear whether Ricciardo would be interested in either seat, with neither Haas or Williams fielding particularly competitive cars.