Formula 1

Steiner Doesn’t Rule Out Talks with Ricciardo, But Current Drivers Come First

Published

2 months ago

05/04/2023

Guenther Steiner Daniel Ricciardo 2024 Haas F1 Team

The Formula One world is abuzz with rumors about Daniel Ricciardo’s potential return to the sport next season, and Guenther Steiner, team principal at Haas, has not ruled out the possibility of discussions with the Australian driver. Although Ricciardo recently stated his intention to return to the grid next season, it’s still unclear which team he has in mind.

Guenther Steiner has not ruled out the possibility of having discussions with Daniel Ricciardo this year regarding a potential return to Formula One in 2024. Despite parting ways with McLaren at the end of last season, Ricciardo is currently taking a sabbatical after serving as a reserve driver for Red Bull, where he worked on simulators and engaged in public and commercial activities.

During the Australian Grand Prix weekend, Ricciardo revealed to a few members of the media, including Speedcafe, that he is likely to return to the Formula One grid next season. However, it is not yet clear which team he has in mind, as all the top teams have their drivers under contract until the end of next year, including Red Bull, Ferrari, and Alpine.

Although Lewis Hamilton has not yet signed a contract extension with Mercedes, it is widely expected that he will do so later this year. Daniel Ricciardo was strongly linked with Haas last year after it was confirmed that he would be leaving McLaren, and it was expected that discussions would take place between the two parties.

In an episode of the latest season of “Drive to Survive” that was aired on Netflix earlier this year, Steiner was shown revealing that Ricciardo had made exorbitant salary demands. In a conversation with Kevin Magnussen, Steiner exclaimed that the 33-year-old driver had requested a minimum of “10 f***ing million” in salary.

When asked about the possibility of approaching Ricciardo this year in light of his recent comments, Steiner acknowledged that he had just started working with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen as a driver pairing. However, he did not completely reject the idea of a potential driver change, stating that it was too early to discuss such matters for next year.

Steiner stated that it was important to assess how the current driver pairing of Hulkenberg and Magnussen perform before considering any driver changes for next year. He acknowledged that there is interest in Ricciardo from several teams in Formula 1 after taking a year off, but he could not make any promises regarding discussions with him. Steiner suggested that Ricciardo might know what he wants to do and could potentially be a desirable candidate for any team in Formula 1.

Steiner emphasized that he needs to give his new driver, Hulkenberg, a chance before considering any potential driver changes. Meanwhile, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer confirmed that he had discussed the possibility of Ricciardo returning to the team (previously known as Renault) after he left at the end of 2020 for McLaren. Ultimately, Szafnauer chose Pierre Gasly instead. However, Szafnauer expressed confidence that Ricciardo will be racing in Formula 1 again soon, as he is a fantastic racing driver who is still young.

Guenther Steiner Daniel Ricciardo F1 2024 Haas Team Guenther Steiner Daniel Ricciardo F1 2024 Haas Team Guenther Steiner Daniel Ricciardo F1 2024 Haas Team Guenther Steiner Daniel Ricciardo F1 2024 Haas Team