Alpine confirms to have spoken to Ricciardo

For Daniel Ricciardo, the end of his career in Formula 1 is approaching (for now?). The Australian has failed to find a seat for next season and he himself now assumes he will not be on the grid in 2023.

There has been much speculation about Ricciardo's future in Formula 1 in recent months. After McLaren announced it would dissolve his contract, he was immediately linked to Alpine. That is where Fernando Alonso is leaving. But instead of opting for Ricciardo, Alpine decided to sign Frenchman Pierre Gasly. So no return to the French team for Ricciardo.

The Race asked Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer last weekend if a return of Ricciardo was ever considered and why he was not presented with a contract. “Well, at the beginning we discussed with a few drivers, including Daniel. Pierre meets the criteria to a tee – he’s experienced, fast and young. So, when it became evident that Pierre was a possibility we made our shortlist even shorter”, Szafnauer said.

Actually, The Race realises, this does not fully answer the question. The website points out that Ricciardo is still many years younger than current driver Alonso, and everyone knows that the Australian is fast. Much more logical, according to The Race, is that Alpine simply did not want Ricciardo back. There is the rumour that Renault boss Luca de Meo was completely against bringing him back in, two years after Ricciardo left the team (despite a generous salary). Moreover, Ricciardo has now been sent away by the team (McLaren) with which Alpine is competing for fourth place in the constructors' championship.

So for Galsy a little bit of luck perhaps.