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Daniel Ricciardo recently revealed that he would be "okay" with not being on the F1 grid in the 2023 season after leaving McLaren. According to him, he'd rather not race at all than be in a car just for the sake of it. A year's drop, as he explained, wouldn't be too bad for him.
His time with the Woking-based team has been challenging, which he accepts, and that has led to his contract being terminated on mutual grounds for the upcoming season. Ricciardo said:
“Obviously this year’s been challenging and if I am on the grid I want to know that it’s a place that I can enjoy it and feel like I can thrive. I don’t want to just jump into a car for the sake of it.”
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The statement from the Australian had his fans worried about his future in the sport. Many believe that this might as well be Ricciardo's final season in the sport, as he had his peak time already. Their reactions to the same on Twitter say it all, and here are some of them:
Alpine would be Daniel Ricciardo's best shot for 2023 F1 season
Since Daniel Ricciardo said that he wouldn't move to a very small team, his best shot could be with Alpine. The French outfit are already looking for a second driver after Fernando Alonso announced his departure from the team post this season. Ricciardo was technically with the team previously, before the team was rebranded from Renault, and he delivered a decent performance there.
It is no surprise that Ricciardo's glory days were with Red Bull, and since he left them, there are not many choices for him on the grid. Even though Alpine would be suitable for him, the chances are shrinking. The team will reportedly have a testing session at Hungaroring with four drivers before the 2022 F1 Singapore GP, with Ricciardo not being one of the options. This could mean that he might be losing his chance with the team.
Daniel Ricciardo is also being speculated to replace Mick Schumacher at Haas with the German's contract expiring this year. His recent performances with McLaren, however, might affect his selection and he would have to sit out the 2023 F1 season.
