Daniel Ricciardo does not rule out taking a sabbatical

If the team bossesIndyCar orEndurance began to be directly or indirectly interested in Daniel Ricciardo for next season, they can obviously slowly forget the idea. On the sidelines of the Belgian Grand Prix, the Australian spoke about his future, the day after the announcement of buyout of his last year of contract by McLaren, the stable of Woking having wished to separate from the Aussie before 2023, i.e. the initial date of the end of their mutual commitment.

McLaren and Ricciardo, it's almost over. © Joao Filipe / DPPI

The Perth native of course regretted McLaren's decision, without having any harsh words towards the team, but above all he detailed his plans for the future in some detail. “I still love this sport, he assured. Despite the difficult times, I never lost confidence in myself. Of course, I've had some tough weekends lately, it's been hard not to show my emotions sometimes. One thing is certain, I want to be F1 but with the idea of ​​fighting for beautiful things. I don't want to be a pilot just to make up the numbers. I want it to make sense. I don't know what the future will hold. But if a good opportunity presents itself, F1 is where I want to be. »

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The problem for the Australian is that the possibilities have become rarer in the premier category for 2023. A seat has become available at Alpine, but his departure fromenstone by slamming the door two years ago was not to the taste of everyone within the French team. Behind, except Haas et Williams, not really used to playing at the forefront in recent years, no option seems to be in line with their expectations.

Therefore, the possibility of taking a sabbatical year seems to be the most plausible solution. “F1 is the only discipline that interests mehe said. At this point in my career, this is where I see myself. If the planets don't align for next year, I would be willing to take a year off to recharge the batteries, yes. I will do it if necessary. » In the meantime, the best way to stay in F1 is to prove in the last nine races that he still has what it takes to compete at the top level. In any case, he seems to hope that the decision taken by McLaren will allow him to fully free himself. “On the one hand, it’s clear that all this takes pressure off the shoulders, he said. Even though the team made this decision, everyone is behind me to finish on a high.”