Daniel Ricciardo is open to taking on a “project” to remain on the Formula 1 grid beyond the end of the current season.
The Australian is out of the drive with McLaren at the end of the year after agreeing to the early termination of his contract in favour of Oscar Piastri.
It leaves the eight-time grand prix winner without a seat for 2023 in a market that has precious few options.
Realistically, only Alpine, Haas, and Williams have vacancies.
Of that trio, Alpine is the most competitive. It sits fourth in the constructors’ championship and won last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon.
Haas has shown potential after a meagre three seasons but is known to be one of the lesser-resourced operations.
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The final option is Williams, which even under new ownership in recent seasons has remained a feature at the back of the F1 field.
While Alpine, therefore, offers something of an arrive-and-drive scenario, the other two seats for next year would need to be part of a longer-term vision.
At 33, Ricciardo is approaching the end of his top-flight career and immediate potential is therefore appealing, but he remains open to taking on a project under the right circumstances.
“I still definitely have the ability to love a project,” he said when asked whether a drive with a less competitive team would be considered.
“But of course, if it’s this kind of longer project, or like this one where you’re going to win tomorrow, of course, I’m going to go for the quick wins.
“But they’re things I will definitely give some thought to.
“I don’t want to be sort of stubborn or shortsighted like that; ‘oh, no, I’m not interested in that.’
“I will give everything its respected thought.”
Ricciardo faces opposition when it comes to landing any one of the available drives for 2023.
It is no secret that Red Bull has been looking to offload Pierre Gasly to Alpine but the Frenchman’s move is contingent on Colton Herta receiving dispensation for a Superlicence from the FIA. That is not likely to be forthcoming.
With current race experience, Ricciardo is therefore likely high on the shopping list at Enstone, though he won’t be alone. Nico Hulkenberg has emerged as a possibility.
The German has links to the team’s Team Principal, Otmar Szafnauer, and has remained active since losing his full-time drive at the end of 2019 through reserve driver work and a handful of cameo appearances.
However, at 35, Hulkenberg offers little more than a stop-gap for a year or two – potentially enough to buy time for Jack Doohan to be ready.
A move to Haas for Ricciardo is less likely due to the operation’s links with Ferrari though it’s understood there is no formal obligation to offer the Scuderia the choice of driver for its second car.
Current pilot, Mick Schumacher, has been backed by the Ferrari Driver Academy through his junior career but that relationship looks set to end at the conclusion of 2022.
What that means for the 23-year-old, who has come on nicely through the middle part of the current campaign, is uncertain though staying put is a distinct possibility.
There are also a host of other Ferrari drivers waiting in the wings; Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman leap immediately to mind.
Haas operates on one of the smallest budgets in F1 and is understood to be one of the handful of teams to be working below the cost cap.
The other option is Williams which, counterintuitively, may offer the most significant opportunity should Ricciardo be prepared to stick it out.
Purchased by Dorilton Capital in 2020, there have been suggestions that the once-dominant squad offers an attractive proposition for Porsche following the collapse of its discussions with Red Bull.
The German marque is interested in returning to F1 and was prepared to invest significantly with the current championship leaders.
With that door now closed, and assuming the appetite remains in Stuttgart, that could see the brand looking to find a new way onto the grid.
Williams has a relationship with Mercedes but that need not be a hurdle, especially with new power unit regulations still some way away (2026).
While an entertaining thought, for the moment it is just that, but serves to highlight the possibilities that might exist below the surface level performance of teams as they stand today.
Of course, at Williams, there is the added complication of a sensational debut performance by Nyck de Vries at Monza last weekend.
Drafted in only on Saturday morning, the Dutchman equalled the team’s best result of the season.
De Vries is a popular figure in the paddock and highly thought of. His outing over the weekend was widely considered a job interview, and it is hard to suggest he did anything but ace it.
Competition, even at Williams, therefore just became rather more serious.
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