The move made by McLaren to terminate Daniel Ricciardo contract through a fine to no longer has the driver in 2023 generated a domino effect that extended to other teams in the category. With some seats still open for next year, speculation begins about the Australian future.
The eight-time grand prix champion is the top available free agent for the upcoming season and has made it known that he wants to remain in Formula 1. He is a clear choice for the Alpine position that Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri (who is most likely to succeed Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren) have turned down. However, Haas and Williams also have openings.
Even though Daniel is yet to have a contract for 2023, according to OLBG.com, there’s a 74% probability based on betting site odds that the driver will keep a seat in F1 the coming year.
What Does Hass Think?
One of the possibilities is Haas, which already has Kevin Magnussen secured but doesn’t know if Mick Schumacher will stay. However, Guenther Steiner, head of the team, does not seem excited about the idea.
“Everyone thinks that now that Daniel Ricciardo is free, we must bring him in. Maybe we don’t want Daniel”, fired the Haas boss. “Why do you think he is leaving McLaren? We have to be a little careful about that,” Steiner explained.
The Italian admitted that he had talked with Daniel Ricciardo about his future. Still, it denied that he had approached him again after the official announcement that the driver would leave McLaren. Thus, he said he did not know the plans Daniel outlined for the next steps in his career.
Team Leader Explains
Haas is in no hurry, just yet, to sign him or anyone else. The team leader explains the thoughts:
“I’ve talked to most potential drivers, which is my job. Nothing concrete yet, but we only want to take the smallest risks for the team’s development. You can take a big risk which is great when it works, but it’s bad when it doesn’t.”
Ultimately, Steiner denied that Daniel Ricciardo salary could be a problem for Haas. According to him, the value automatically drops when the pilot runs out of other options, which may be the case for the Australian – who has already indicated he has no interest in racing in different categories. On the other hand, Guenther admitted that it is not an easy task to find someone available to drive in the top type of motorsport.
“If you don’t have a seat elsewhere, your salary is usually lower,” he said. “It is no longer the case that 20 drivers with a Super License racing around the world are available for this job. The list is not infinite.”
Other Contracts
Haas may still keep Mick Schumacher alongside Kevin Magnussen, but Schumacher’s future is far from assured after an inconsistent second-half F1 season that includes two major crashes.
Although Steiner emphasized that it is a “performance we have to witness” from a driver who has only scored points twice this season, he added it was incorrect to presume Schumacher was headed for the exit door.
Steiner praised the “outstanding” results of the Austrian and British Grand Prixes and brushed off any suggestions of off-track conflict with him. However, Schumacher must be more reliable if Haas is persuaded by Michael’s son, a seven-time long-term Formula 1 world winner.
“You have to prove yourself here every day. Every day is a new day. It’s a performance-based business. You have to prove yourself constantly. You can’t have a race or two and say, ‘Now I’m a proven F1 driver’, you need points all year round”.
“He did very well in the last quarter before the summer break, so we have a few more races, and we have time to wait, and we are not in a hurry to make the decision.” Completed Steiner.
Steiner has ruled out the prospect of re-signing a rookie after spending the 2021 season with Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
When the American competes in the upcoming races in the Netherlands and Italy as Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi, who will participate in two practice sessions from Friday to December, he plans to discuss the complete range of driver possibilities with team owner Gene Haas. Also on the list is a fair for Haas before the season.
