“The Future is Clear…”: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals His Stance On Potential Aston Martin F1 Switch Amid Sebastian Vettel Retirement

Ever since Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement from Formula One at the end of this season, many have been pondering over his potential replacement at Aston Martin. Indeed, the four-time world champion’s revelation has blown the driver’s market wide open, and, with the summer break ahead, the talks should kick-start soon. But, who is ultimately going to partner Lance Stroll at the #007 squad?

Well, we’ve had some interesting names come up, including two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, and re-surging Haas driver, Mick Schumacher. However, amidst such unexpected preferences, the one that particularly caught the fans’ attention was Daniel Ricciardo. The McLaren star is yet to unleash his true potential at the Papaya outfit, and his struggles have been quite evident.

Hence, it seemed practical that the Australian would be yearning to refresh his tumbling career with a move to Aston Martin. But, in reality, that certainly isn’t the case.

What did Daniel Ricciardo say?

During the Hungarian GP press conference, F1 commentator David Croft questioned Ricciardo’s chances of completing the much-expected Aston Martin switch. However, to the Briton’s surprise, the former Red Bull star ended up giving a rather blunt answer to this speculation. Ricciardo made it absolutely clear that he will continue his journey with McLaren at least until the end of next season.

“Did you hear any of my interviews last week Crofty? Obviously, it’s nothing against that (Aston Martin), but, as I said last week, my future is clear and it’s here. So, yeah,” the Honey Badger responded.

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After a train of poor outings, Ricciardo did show a glimpse of his true potential last weekend at the French Grand Prix; The Australian glided his McLaren into the top 10 after barely missing out on Q3 on Saturday. And although it was another defeat in terms of the teammate battle with Lando Norris, Ricciardo will nonetheless be pleased with the result.

Who will replace Sebastian Vettel now?

Let’s return to Aston Martin now, shall we? There is still a vacant spot alongside Stroll. And with the kind of future Lawrence Stroll is building upon, the seat could well be a golden ticket for any driver. Hence, with Ricciardo out of the picture, who is that driver going to be?

As of now, the perfect replacement would be Alonso, considering his abundant experience and the leadership role he is currently playing at Alpine. What’s more, there were several rumors around Alonso possibly replacing Vettel ahead of the 2022 season, which ultimately never came to fruition.

So, could 2023 be the year? The good news is Alonso doesn’t have a contract beyond 2022, which sets the table up for a dramatic buzz-filled summer break. But, the question is, who is going to grab onto the Spaniard in this glaring contest?

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