'McLaren has informed Ricciardo their intention to end his 2023 contract'
The soap opera surrounding Oscar Piastri and Alpine is in full swing. It is starting to look more and more like the young Australian has reached an agreement with McLaren, but the team would have to tear up the contract with Daniel Ricciardo. According to Motorsport.com this has already happened.
'McLaren set to end Ricciardo's 2023 F1 contract'
McLaren are said to have officially informed Ricciardo of its intention to terminate his contract early and thus make way for the arrival of Piastri. The Woking-based team is said to have initially contracted Piastri as a reserve driver for 2023, with the option of upgrading that contract to a permanent race seat. This is on the assumption that an agreement will be reached about the early departure of Ricciardo, who still has a contract until the end of 2023.
The team will now have to ensure that it reaches an agreement with the 33-year-old Australian, who recently expressed his desire to sit out his contract. McLaren CEO Zak Brown pointed out earlier in the season that the team has the option to terminate the driver's contract early, but will have to be prepared to pay a substantial ransom for doing so. It is not inconceivable that Ricciardo will then move back to Alpine and take the place originally intended for Piastri.
Everybody has forgotten that the McLaren supposedly is a dog of a car and only suits Norris. Even Sainze made that comment when he was safe at Ferrari. Further McLaren have done zilch to make the car suitable for DR driving sytle ( similar to what RBR was doing for Verstappen and why DR left RBR.) Hopefully McLaren will be back where it deserves to be in the contrutors championship next year. ie 9th place
I can’t wait for next year’s Drive to Survive! Dan definitely deserves better than the treatment he has had after winning the only race for McLaren since 2012
Last couple of years in F1 have been a downwards spiral, with this sacking beingg the biggest disappointment yet. This combined with the honey badgers fascination with everything American...... Would it be that farfetched to see Riciardo driving indy or nascar next year? I Don't see him driving a full year in the last positions on the track in the Alpine....
I’m actually not convinced Alpine will be that bad, they’ll be a supplier again next year, they may be on the way up………
I have always been a Ricciardo fan. I got why he left RBR, people seem to forget the way that team dissed him showing complete favouritism to Verstappen. I was less sure about him leaving Renault, where his second season went well but McLaren is one of those teams whose name is very evocative and, I guess, drivers want to drive for. To say his time at McLaren has been a disappointment is an understatement. To take one not so fun fact - McLaren are comfortably fifth in the WDC. If Ricciardo had stayed home this whole season, McLaren would still be comfortably fifth in the WDC. It's time for Danny to move on. I hope he goes to Alpine and gets his groove back. Then he can take the fight to McLaren in 2023 and we get to see that big smile firmly back in place.
Spot on Bero, I couldn’t reconcile him leaving Renault - there has to be something going on in that team………
McLaren won't pay him AND let him drive the Alpine, why would they make life more difficult for themselves. So Daniel will sit the season out or take a huge pay cut.
They're breaching the contract. They'll have to pay and they have no say in where he goes now they've breach it. In essence this is cut and dried. He has a contract through 2023. McLaren has decided on their own not to live up to their end of the contract. Since the parting of ways is not mutual, McLaren will have to negotiate against an aggrieved party who has no need to take any discounts. McLaren would lose and face the possibility of paying punitive damages for breaching the contract. Since he's been fired without cause McLaren would either be forced to take him back or pay him in full in which case the termination is agreed upon and he is free to sign with whomever he so wishes There's your lesson in contract law
That doesn't mean they won't try. I saw reported elsewhere that he had a bit of s non-compete provision in his contract which is entirely normal and often the case in many characters i have signed. Supposedly if he secured another seat he has to pay back McLaren a portion or all probably depending on his new deal. This ensures they don't pay him to compete and collect 2 salaries.
But they aren't paying him to keep him. They want to fire him without just cause which would leave him a free agent Free to collect breach of contract damages from McLaren and free to sign with whoever he can. McLaren has no right trying to breach one part of the contract then trying to insist they have rights under some other part of the contract Once a contact is breached by one party the entire contract is ruled null and void.
Hey Mark, imho, it's not breach of contract if McLaren elect to terminate according to whatever clauses the contract provides, including notice, performance criteria, $$$ settlement payout, non-disclosure of IP etc. So, maybe no "damages", just a severance payment to Daniel and freedom for each to pick another team or driver. I don't know what their contract provides, and assuming you don't either, your legal opinion seems speculative and somewhat untenable.
Milk Zak Brown so dry he shrivels like a prune, Daniel. McLaren will pay a lot to get out of the contract, I don't see Danny Ric saying he'll leave at a discount rate and a breach of contract could come with punitive damages in a court of law so they'll have to consider that in negotiations The only saving grace is they'll pay Piastri peanuts to try to recoup some losses
Indeed - I suspect this has been playing out for a while, which is why RIC was always sticking to the script - I’m committed to the team through 2023,,,,, It’s a pity for Oscar though an Alpha Tauri seat wasn’t the priority……
Danny Ric has been intelligent enough to listen to his lawyers. He's made it clear he has a contract and is very excited to fulfill his contract. McLaren has made numerous contradictory statements and has signed a deal with another driver before informing him they intended to breach his contract Danny Ric will walk away with his full salary from McLaren and then some. Then he'll find another seat that will pay him on top of his Zak Brown is a lousy businessman bonus. McLaren did every possible thing wrong under contract law. They'll pay whatever they have to to keep this out of court, because under contact law, they're absolutely dead in the water
This is what bugs me about Alpine. The first red flag that something suspicious was going on was the ceo of McLaren bad mounting Danny in the press. A weak attempt to get Danny to overreact. It was obvious he was impatient to open that seat. But for whom? Alpine caught sleeping.
Whether you like Ocon or hot, he has matured as a driver and leads Alonso in the points. And they are often very competitive for qualifying and for the race. And Alonso is on it this year. If Daniel returns and recovers his pace with a car to his liking, he will be competitive with Ocon, and that is no insult.
Indeed, spot on, but it’s a Pity, that like Red Bull only one of their drivers will ever be able to drive the car…
I find this story-line very unlikely. Why would McLaren place a rookie next to their number one star driver? They need an experienced number 2 driver who can help develop the car together with Lando. Why would Piastri go to a poor performing customer team that is not likely to fight for World championships anytime soon? The Alpine works team is not doing great either, but I suspect will improve faster than McLaren.
Keep in mind this is Mclaren……. When have they got anything right in the last 5 years - other than Employ Andreas Seidel……..
Daniel is a talented driver, I'm sure he will do well at Alpine , maybe even beat Ocon after half a season.
Arrogant? All he has really said is I'm not performing as well as I should. Seems like you have something stuck up you?
Lol what if RUS bests HAM or SAI beats LEC, it’s called motor racing Toto, LOL He screwed up by leaving Renault in the first place…….
Poor Danny ! I remember him laughing at beating Vettel with the bigots at sky f1 , look at him now , how the smiley have fallen.
Lol - he’ll keep smiling while Maclaren have to keep paying him next year……..
I think it's a good thing for the Honey Badger, he is a lot better than he was in the McLaren. Some driver-team combinations just don't work. He will also het a few $$ in the pocket which is good. On the other side, I can't wait to see Lando and Piastri in the same team, I hope it goes well.
I think so too. He was a class above Ocon at Renault, he can certainly do it again.
I would not be so sure about that…i mean Ricciardo took a beating with Lando Norris… And Ocon is the main driver at Alpine…neither Alonso orPiastri have had a 4 years contract… I want to see Gasly in that seat because he hate Ocon as much as i do ??
It won't be easy for him. Now there is a new car, and it is very bad with form and self-confidence. Even more so, because he knows he was better before. They will have to show it right away, and it can be tricky for the psyche.
