Former F1 champion Damon Hill “Where did Daniel Ricardo’s run go?”[F1-Gate.com]

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill says F1 team managers will ask themselves if Daniel Ricciardo is still fast enough before extending his career.

Daniel Ricciardo’s future is changing after being kicked out of the McLaren F1 team with 2023 remaining in the final year of his contract.

Instead, McLaren have chosen to give Ricciardo’s Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri the chance to make his F1 debut as Lando Norris’ team-mate.

With the driver market evolving rapidly, the options for Daniel Ricciardo to remain on the grid next season are closing. Reports suggest that Ricciardo could therefore be signed as a reserve driver in the hope of returning to F1 in 2024.

But Damon Hill doubts that 33-year-old Daniel Ricciardo’s current pace will allow him to maintain the image of being a strong enough top driver. Daniel Ricciardo’s 1 and 3/4 years at McLaren has consistently outperformed Lando Norris, with the exception of a stunning win at the 2021 F1 Italian Grand Prix.

“Danny was such a great character for our sport, bubbly and always smiling, but something went wrong,” Damon Hill told Sky F1.

“Not only his speed in McLaren, but also his strategy to get into a competitive car. I hope you will come

Asked if it would be better for Daniel Ricciardo to take 2023 off altogether or stay with the team as a reserve driver, Hill said: “I think there is some logic to that. At least in a top team. If you do, even if you’re “Sitting back and waiting for the right opportunity, you’ll probably get information that could be useful to another team.”

“But every team, every team manager who looks at him will ask, ‘Where’s the speed gone? You don’t have it”

Category: F1 / Daniel Ricardo / mclaren