Daniel Ricciardo has spoken out after the news broke that he would depart McLaren at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
Ricciardo has struggled throughout much of his time at the Woking-based squad, having linked up with it in 2021.
Throughout the summer break, there have been various reports that the eight-time grand prix winner was in talks to leave the team at the end of the season, with Oscar Piastri heavily linked to his seat.
On Wednesday, Ricciardo’s departure was made official, and the 33-year-old took to social media to provide a statement of his own.
“2022 will be my last year with McLaren,” he said. “Obviously we put in a lot of effort on both sides but just hasn’t worked the way we wanted.
“So the team decided to make a change for next year, we had a lot of discussions but in the end we mutually agreed that it was the right thing for both of us.
“I will continue to do the rest of the year, absolutely, and continue to give it my all. So that’s that. I think for the future, what lies ahead, not sure yet. Not sure yet, but we’ll see.”
Ricciardo’s highlight with McLaren came at last year’s Italian Grand Prix, where he took the team’s first race win in nine years.
“You know I look back on this time with McLaren, I look back with a smile,” he said. “I learnt a lot about myself, I think things that will help me for the next step of my career but I think just in general in life.
“I think too, from a results point of view, for sure, like to consistently get the results and that form that I was after, wasn’t always there and made some weekends tough. I felt those absolutely.
“But I also have many happy memories of my time at the team. And I think about Monza, I think about standing on the top step, I think about bringing the team their first win since 2012, you know, like that.
“That kind of stuff was awesome, to see the smiles on everyone’s faces to just be in that moment is something I’ll never forget.”
Ricciardo has been linked with a move to Alpine or Haas for 2023, and hinted that he will remain on the grid next year.
“The sport, you know, I still love it, I still love it,” he said. “This hasn’t affected any of that. I still have that fire in me, that belief in my belly that I can do this at the highest level.
“So yeah, all that stuff’s still there. I just wanted to say, appreciate everyone’s support through the highs, the lows and everything in-between.
“This isn’t it for me, but yeah, we’ll see what, we’ll see what lies ahead. Just wanted to say I appreciate you.”
“…but in the end we mutually agreed that it was the right thing for both of us.”
In other words, Zak Brown lied for months when he said Ricciardo would definitely be in a McLaren F1 car next season, McLaren found a better option, came to a financial agreement with Ricciardo and made him sign an NDA to not badmouth McLaren and Lyin’ King Zak Brown for being shoved out of the team.
So what’s next, the VW-McLaren acquisition announcement that Brown said would never happen?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a contract for Ricciardo to drive the other Williams next season, alongside Albon, would be massively beneficial for both parties. Under Jost Capito, Williams is a team which is going to make good progress over the next couple of years, and Ricciardo is a driver with talent and experience, who can assist in achieving that progress and reap the benefits of it. Albon is also an excellent driver, and having the two of them who have been brought up through Red Bull’s highly successful driver programme, so they know the value of hard work and endeavour, would be a real boost for steepening Williams’s learning curve. It all makes so much sense, it would be silly if the two fail to get themselves together and make it happen.