Maybe his last GPs? Ricciardo at peace with it

With his characteristic smile, Daniel Ricciardo is a familiar face in the F1 paddock. Chances are he will also be around next season, but as a reserve driver for a top team. As we know, the Australian has failed to secure a seat for 2023 and hopes to return to the grid a year later.

Only that is anything but a certainty. Many teams - especially the top teams - have long-term contracts with their drivers. Anyway, Ricciardo has yet to choose: will he join Mercedes or Red Bull Racing as a reserve? Neither team is likely to have a seat available for him in 2023.

So it could just be that Ricciardo never drives another Grand Prix after next week in Abu Dhabi. “I’m certainly aware, and I’m also at peace with it if that’s the case — I’m standing with my decision. Look, I don’t want this to be my last two races in F1, but if it is then I accept that could be an outcome", he told Racer.

According to Ricciardo, a year off will do a lot to him. He knows himself and says that not being able to race for a long time increases the desire to get back in the cockpit. According to Ricciardo, a year without Grands Prix is definitely going to make him hungry again and he will perform better.