Hakkinen warns Ricciardo: leaving F1 means gone forever from F1

It is now well known: Daniel Ricciardo is leaving Formula 1 after this season. Temporarily, if it is up to the Australian. He hopes to return to the grid in 2024, preferably with a team with which he can compete for victories.

For next season, Ricciardo is looking for a reserve driver role with a top team. Both Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are being mentioned as possible places where the ever-smiling Ricciardo could end up. He then hopes to secure a racing seat with that team a year later. That this will not be easy is clear. Just look at the simple facts. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are also signed by Red Bull for 2024, while George Russell has a contract with Mercedes. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton indicated on Thursday that he wants to remain active in F1 for years to come.

Not back

So where can Ricciardo go then? According to two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen, the Australian should take into account that his career in Formula 1 will be over in three races. “I think my position was a little bit different because I was already a two-time world champion, I’d achieved my goals,” Hakkinen said. “Daniel has a different situation. His performance has been dropping, he’s not going flat-out there. So people are not sure with him if he’s quick enough. That could make it difficult having a year off and coming back because if you’re not quick enough, there’s always some kind of explanation, some reason."

According to Hakkinen, it is Ricciardo's own fault that people - both within McLaren and the fans and media - have started to doubt him. According to the Finnish analyst, Ricciardo never even properly explains why he performs less than his teammate. But, Hakkinen concludes, he hopes Ricciardo does get another chance somewhere, because he thinks he is a great guy.