Home/F1

via Reuters

via Reuters

The driver born in the Southern hemisphere, Daniel Ricciardo, has seen his racing career go south in his present stint with McLaren. In his early days in F1, many believed ‘Honey Badger’ would conquer the grid and become a world champion. Unfortunately, with the Aussie’s recent run of form, all he can conquer is blue flags.

Speaking of blue flags, according to ESPN, it is the American team on the grid that is eyeing the signature of the eight-time Grand Prix winner. Haas’ Guenther Steiner reportedly contacted Daniel Ricciardo ahead of the Hungarian GP. Remarkably, the team already started talks with him, even prior to the drama unfolding in the 2022 silly season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Presently, the 33-year-old is safe for the following season; his deal with McLaren concludes at the end of the 2023 F1 season. However, the papaya team eyes to put the failed marriage with Ricciardo to bed, a year before his contract expires.

An under-steering MCL36 has exposed the Achilles heel of the Australian, who had ambitions of fighting at the top of the grid. Moreover, the young Brit, Lando Norris, is bringing home strong points for the Woking outfit, week in and week out, which has not made life easy for Ricciardo.

READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo & Girlfriend Heidi Berger Make Their Relationship Insta-Official as F1 World Gushes Over New Power Couple

As things stand, Daniel Ricciardo has five available options in the form of Alpine, Alpha Tauri, Williams, Haas, and Alfa Romeo. All these constructors have a vacant seat available in their garage for the 2023 season, and with McLaren adamant about swapping him, it looks the ‘Honey Badger’ would have to find a new home.

Can Daniel Ricciardo bring back the Shoey?

With 13 races completed in the 2022 season, Daniel Ricciardo has failed to replicate the highs of Monza 2021 and is at a lowly P12 in the driver’s championship. ‘Honey Badger’ sits a whopping 57 points behind his teammate who has claimed one podium finish for McLaren in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Perth-born racing driver has been stuck explaining to the media why things are not working out on his side of the garage. Now, ahead of the Belgian GP, ​​the Australian has admitted to drawing inspiration from one driver who witnessed a resurgence.

In 2020, Sergio Perez came face to face with an exit from F1. However, he is in the mix for the world championship in 2022. Along the same lines, Daniel Ricciardo believes a comeback is in store for him.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

He said, “We all believe we can win. So it’s like, well I want to win tomorrow, but it’s not always like that. Even now, talking about 2024 or ’25, in a way it’s hard to think that far ahead. But it’ll come around quickly.”

“You also take like little things from if it’s a Perez, when his career looked over, and now he’s potentially fighting for a world championship. The sport can change so quickly.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Do you think ‘Honey Badger’ should move to another team to get his career back on track with points, podiums, and wins? Let us know.

Watch This Story: Not Ricciardo, nor Perez: Max Verstappen’s Greatest F1 Teammate Revealed