O'Ward stands by, but Ricciardo is assured of his spot

Not so long ago, Daniel Ricciardo was a potential world champion. With McLaren, the Australian did win at Monza last season, but he is not thinking about the title for now. Indeed, his younger teammate Lando Norris was often too fast for him in 2021.

Speculations

Formula 1 would not be Formula 1 if there were sudden speculation about Ricciardo's future. Australian media - such as FoxSports - even write that their compatriot could well find himself without a seat in 2023 if he does not start performing better, despite a contract until the end of 2024 (with an option to extend). But all rumors can be put to an end immediately, according to team boss Zak Brown. According to him, Ricciardo will stay with McLaren until the end of his contract.

The team has the luxury of also having Pato O'Ward under contract. The Mexican drives for McLaren's IndyCar team, with which he narrowly missed out on the title last season. It's no secret that O'Ward is eager to make the switch to Formula One. "At the moment we don't have a seat available," Brown said. "Lando has a very long-term contract, so that seat is forgiven. Daniel, we have a few years left."

Patience

Ricciardo is not worried about the future. Already earlier he hinted at patience, realizing that success with McLaren did not happen overnight. Ricciardo already indicated that he enjoys the team and wants to be successful with McLaren in the end.