Nico Hülkenberg will take over the cockpit from Mick Schumacher at Haas for the upcoming Formula 1 season. For team boss Günther Steiner, the Emmericher was not the only option. Daniel Ricciardo was also on the list for the US racing team, as the Australian now revealed.
Long before Mick Schumacher’s end at Haas was certain, there was speculation about a possible successor to the German at the US racing team. Numerous names were traded, some more, others less prominent. The most famous of them: Daniel Ricciardo.
The Australian went through a difficult time at McLaren, and many experts and insiders expected his replacement at the end of the season at an early stage. Also from Haas team boss Günther Steiner, as Ricciardo divulged in the “Beyond The Grid” podcast.
Haas change is not an option for Ricciardo
Ricciardo confirmed that he received a call from Günther Steiner during the season to discuss a potential move to Haas. When asked if he had an option for a regular cockpit in the 2023 Formula 1 season, the 33-year-old said that the South Tyrolean had contacted him. Ultimately, however, he did not consider a move to the US team.
“As the days went by, I realized it wasn’t about any calls I was getting. It was about me ending up next year [2023] just don’t want to drive. That’s why I’m kind of glad that no top team has signed up, because that’s the kind of case where you feel, ‘Oh, I have to sign it’.” Deep down, however, he just has distance from Formula 1 want to win.
Ricciardo talks about burnout
You could call it a kind of burnout, Ricciardo added: “I’m not afraid to admit it. Everyone will have their opinion, but in the end I know how I feel. I know what I want.”
He doesn’t want to say that he’s the only driver who ticks like that. But he is just someone who gets lost in things. Things he feels like “I can feel the power of taking a break for myself, recovering, and then coming back better.”
In the end, the story had a happy ending for all sides. Ricciardo returned to Red Bull and will be able to recharge his battery there as number three behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez. His rejection of Haas also opened the door for Nico Hulkenberg, who will finally have a regular cockpit again next season.