Daniel Ricciardo’s chances of returning to F1 are unclear, but Double World Champion Mika Hakkinen is confident the 33-year-old can return.
Ricciardo has committed to spending the 2023 season as Red Bull’s third driver, preferring to reassess his options for a potential return to the sport in 2024.
The Australian’s arrival at McLaren was initially regarded as a positive decision, but the last two years have proven the most difficult in his career.
Whilst Ricciardo was successful in securing McLaren’s first victory in a decade at the Italian GP, he has consistently struggled to match the efforts of his teammate.
Despite his difficulties in producing his best performances at the Woking squad, Mika Hakkinen wrote in his blog that he is confident that Ricciardo is capable of making a return:
“Daniel is a good driver, but after some years in F1, a break can be important.
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“When I retired from F1, my McLaren team boss convinced by to call it a sabbatical, but I knew I would not be coming back.
“I think Daniel is different – he’s had a couple of tough seasons and just needs to rediscover his motivation. At 33 years of age, he has time on his side.”
Considering Ricciardo’s accomplishments in F1 – accompanied by several top performances – it seems reasonable that he will receive some interest ahead of 2024.
However, the 8-time race winner seems intent on returning to the front of the grid after turning down opportunities in the midfield pack.
This is where Ricciardo’s options become more limited, given that there are no obvious vacancies at F1’s top teams.
Even Mika Hakkinen has expressed concerns in previous weeks, highlighting Ricciardo’s inability to identify the root cause of his performance issues at McLaren.
Still, F1’s driver market has proven unpredictable and volatile, so there is always the chance of an unlikely opportunity presenting itself.
It remains to be seen whether the 2022 Abu Dhabi GP was Ricciardo’s last race in the sport.
Read More: F1 News: Mika Hakkinen gives verdict on chances of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 return 2022-11-30 22:01:04