Even two races before the end of this Formula 1 season, it is unclear what the future of Daniel Ricciardo will look like. After the separation from McLaren, the Australian was repeatedly linked to a possible role as a test driver at Mercedes, but this is not yet official.
The 33-year-old recently confirmed that he could live well with a year off in order to fully concentrate on returning in 2024. But ex-Formula driver Mika Häkkinen believes that a sabbatical would be the beginning of the end.
And the Finn knows what he’s talking about. After the two-time world champion had to admit defeat against Michael Schumacher in the title fight in 2000 and 2001, he decided to take a break – intending to return a year later.
Hakkinen lost power
But that didn’t happen: “After three to four months, when the season (2002) started and I was in Monaco or wherever, I realized that I definitely didn’t want to go back there,” reveals the 54-year-old in the current issue ‘The Race F1 Podcast’.
“It takes so much energy, so much power from your body and physiologically, a lot of energy. I knew it didn’t matter if I took a year off. I can’t come back. Halfway through the season I knew that I won’t come back,” said Häkkinen.
Regarding Ricciardo, he is skeptical: “If Daniel decides to take a year off, I know from experience that once you’ve left this sport you shouldn’t normally come back. You can’t perform if you ask yourself, whether to stop or not.”
“Not quite up to par”
Even if the comparison between him and Ricciardo on the subject of time off is obvious, Häkkinen sees crucial differences. “My position was a little different because I was already a two-time world champion and had achieved my goals,” he says.
“Daniel is in a different situation. His performance has gone down, he’s not quite up to speed anymore. People aren’t sure if he’s fast enough. That could make it difficult to take a year off and then to come back.”
“If you’re not fast enough, there’s always some explanation, some reason,” adds Häkkinen. “And I feel like he’s not communicating that information very clearly to the media, to the fans and to the team. But you have to understand why I’m not riding at the level of the teammate.”
Changed teams too often?
Since Ricciardo switched from Renault to McLaren, he has fallen significantly behind Lando Norris. So far this season, he’s only picked up 21 percent of the team’s points.
“It’s definitely not easy,” comments Häkkinen on Ricciardo’s current situation. “When I was racing, we tested a lot, we tested these cars all the time. The car was tailor-made for you and now the cars aren’t really tailor-made for you because you’re not allowed to test.”
“The options are very limited these days,” says the ex-Formula 1 driver. “And adjusting your driving style when the car doesn’t work is terrible. It’s not fun at all, but if your team-mate can do it, then so can you.”
Despite Ricciardo’s problems, the Finn hopes that the outgoing McLaren driver can get back on track and continue in Formula 1 in 2024 because he is a “great character”. But he may not always have made the right decisions.
“I think Daniel changed his team a lot – Red Bull, Renault, McLaren. And I think changing teams is always a risk,” notes Häkkinen. “People learn to know who you are. But understanding what your driving technique is isn’t that easy. It takes a lot of time to do that,” he points out.