Daniel Ricciardo is 12th in the drivers ’championship with 17 points, while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris is seventh with 64 points.
Daniel Ricciardo says he is committed to Formula 1 and is determined to stay with McLaren until the end of his contract next year.
The 33-year-old Australian is contracted with McLaren until the end of 2023, but this season he has been struggling to match the pace of teammate Lando Norris.
“I’m committed to McLaren until the end of next year and I’m not quitting the sport,” he posted on Twitter.
“Appreciate that it hasn’t always been easy, but who wants easy ?!”
Ricciardo’s future has been the subject of speculation since McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said last month that his time with the team had not met expectations.
McLaren have been exploring their options in case Ricciardo leaves the team at the end of the season.
They have considered Williams rider Alex Albon and alpine reserve Oscar Piastri, and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel has also been linked with the team.
“I’m working with the team to make improvements and put the car right and get back to where it belongs,” Ricciardo added. “I still want this more than ever.”
McLaren is busy creating options for itself in terms of its future line of drivers.
Norris signed for the team until the end of 2025 earlier this season.
But McLaren this week tested IndyCar leader Colton Herta in a 2021 car in Portimao, Portugal, and is known to be open to the idea of the American switching to F1 if he proves to be able to do so. ho.
McLaren has also signed IndyCar champion Alex Palou for 2023, but has not said in which category the Spaniard would run.
The manufacturer has a fully electric Formula E series equipment in addition to F1 and IndyCar, as well as the Extreme E all-terrain electric category.
Palou’s contract includes a seat time in an F1 test and the 25-year-old said in a McLaren statement announcing his deal that he was “excited to be able to show what I can do behind the wheel of a car of Formula 1 and looking at what it is “. doors that can be opened “.
Like all F1 teams, McLaren is required by law to run unusual drivers in two free practice sessions this season. Team director Andreas Seidl said on Tuesday that this would happen after the August summer break and that plans had not yet been confirmed.