Rumor: Ricciardo also ‘possible’ for McLaren F1 reserve role

(GMM) Another team has emerged as a potential home for Daniel Ricciardo in 2023 – McLaren.

Currently, it is believed the Australian is in talks with both Mercedes and Red Bull about potentially serving as reserve driver next year.

Having lost his McLaren race seat, the 33-year-old Australian turned down a move to Haas for next year in favor of a reserve role with a top team that could lead to a drive in 2024.

Ricciardo says his struggles at McLaren prompted him to seek help from a psychologist because he was no longer his “usual bubbly self”.

“I started to speak to a psychologist last year,” he said. “I was neglecting friendships and thought it would be good to talk to someone to make sure the two sides of my life didn’t cross over.”

Now, Ricciardo seems content with a year away from racing next year so long as he is working on a project that could see him return to F1 in 2024.

A role with Mercedes could also see Ricciardo serving on standby for another Mercedes-powered team – McLaren.

“We haven’t discussed this issue yet,” said team boss Andreas Seidl, “but usually in the winter we select a reserve driver.

“In recent years, we shared a reserve driver with another team, but now we have no disagreements with Daniel. It is possible that he will be our third driver in 2023.”