Despite Zak Brown Promise, McLaren Look at Two Surprising Names Should Daniel Ricciardo Have Second Thoughts

McLaren boss Zak Brown has announced that Daniel Ricciardo will stay with McLaren in 2023. But it’s not all that easy, as there are some conditions to Ricciardo’s continuation with the Woking outfit. Clearly, the Australian’s time with the team has been bumpy, with situations becoming worse and worse as time progressed.

The ‘Honey Badger’ has been really inconsistent with his performances, failing to find a regular good finish. While he crossed the line in P13 at Silverstone, the Aussie earned two points with a lowly P9 finish at the Red Bull Ring. The driver has not matched teammate Lando Norris in terms of performance, who is comparatively much more consistent in the same machinery.

Understandably, McLaren is currently looking everywhere to find the right fit for its team. But even Ricciardo can leave the team due to unprecedented circumstances.

Names from McLaren’s testing program usually pop up as potential replacements, but that has not been the case on this occasion. Two rather unusual names came across this time; Alex Albon and Sebastian Vettel. However, these names make sense, given the duo has a rich F1 experience.

Vettel, a four-time world champion, has previously driven for Ferrari and Red Bull. He currently drives for Aston Martin, which arguably does not necessarily present him with a shot at the world championship. In fact, this year has been a titanic struggle for the English team who are 9th on the table.

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Albon, on the other hand, joined Williams and signed a rather unusual deal which has him still partnered with the Bulls. Although they can call him back on demand, he remains a very viable option for the Woking outfit.

Despite the 2023 seat, Daniel Ricciardo remains warned

When exactly is McLaren looking to replace Ricciardo? Though they’ve announced his stay for 2023, no one knows if the 33-year-old will be able to live up to their expectations. His second year with the team has already been very disappointing, as he sits 47 points off Norris. The team, in fact, stands on the same points as Alpine F1 and might not be able to retain their P4.

Brown even recently pointed out something important and clarified the condition of Ricciardo’s stay back, “But what we ask of him is clear: that he drives at Lando’s level, either slightly ahead or slightly behind…”

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Can Ricciardo turn this opportunity into a long-term stay, or is this just a short-term thing?