Daniel Ricciardo stated he’s speaking to Formulation One groups a few reserve function subsequent 12 months and that taking a break from racing may show to be “a blessing in disguise.”
The Australian completed seventh for McLaren in Sunday’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix and was voted Driver of the Day by followers after offering a lot of the leisure with a sequence of overtakes following a 10-seconds penalty.
The 33-year-old is about to go away McLaren on the finish of the 12 months with nothing lined up up to now and no real interest in the one seat remaining at Haas.
“I can confidently say I will not be on the grid, behind a wheel [in 2023],” Ricciardo stated to Sky Sports activities.
“However I nonetheless wish to be within the sport, I wish to be working with a workforce nonetheless with the ambition to be again on the grid in ’24.
“I really feel like a little bit of time away from a race seat will really do me good, after which attempt to rebuild on one thing for ’24.”
The winner of eight profession races, all however one with Pink Bull, Ricciardo has struggled to match teammate Lando Norris this 12 months with Sunday a uncommon event the place he beat the Briton, who completed ninth.
Ricciardo stated the final two years had been “fairly laborious” and stepping away would provide a contemporary perspective.
“The way in which the seasons are it is fairly relentless, you do not actually get an opportunity to rebuild,” he stated.
“Everybody’s totally different however I really imagine that shall be, to illustrate, in a approach a blessing in disguise for me … by doing much less, I will obtain extra.”
Ricciardo has been linked to order roles with Pink Bull and Mercedes, whose boss Toto Wolff would welcome him within the function vacated by AlphaTauri-bound Dutchman Nyck de Vries.
“We very very like him, he is an incredible character however we aren’t ready but to determine who’s going to do reserve and third driver,” the Austrian stated.
Wolff was lately photographed sporting a sweatshirt from Ricciardo’s merchandise assortment, additional fuelling hypothesis.
“It is great things, easy as that,” Ricciardo stated. “I gave [Mercedes driver] George [Russell] a sweater and Toto messaged saying he actually favored it … so, freebies.”
Russell stated he wish to see Ricciardo be a part of him and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton however “it is as much as Daniel to see what he desires to do together with his future.”