Both sides have agreed that that commitment will be torn apart after this year. That’s no big surprise. McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown alluded months ago to an early departure for Ricciardo, whose performance alongside Lando Norris has been disappointing.
The former driver of Red Bull Racing and Renault, among others, did win the Italian Grand Prix at Monza last year.
No regrets
“It has been a privilege to be part of McLaren for the past two seasons, but after several months of discussions with Zak and Andreas (team principal Seidl, ed.) we have decided to terminate my contract early,” said Ricciardo. “I will announce my own future plans in due course. Whatever the next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I have done at McLaren.”
Seidl and Brown thank Ricciardo for his efforts and wish him success towards the final nine races of this season. “It’s no secret that we had hoped to achieve more together, but seeing him on the podium at Monza last year was a highlight,” said Brown.
McLaren hopes that Oscar Piastri will succeed his compatriot, but there is no mention of that yet. Last year’s Formula 2 champion was previously announced by Alpine as the successor to Aston Martin departing Fernando Alonso, but Piastri reacted furiously and suggested not to drive Alpine in 2023. It was subsequently revealed that he already had a deal with McLaren. . Should he still move to McLaren, Ricciardo could potentially open up a spot at Alpine.