Mercedes director Toto Wolff confirmed that his team is negotiating with Daniel Ricciardo about the role of reserve driver in the F1 championship in 2023, but that he will have competition because Red Bull is also interested in the Australian.
Ricciardo drives for McLaren, but he has no engagement for the next year, as the team is dissatisfied with the performances, and decided to terminate the cooperation with the Australian driver at the end of the season.
The director of Mercedes would like to see him on his team next season but points out that the driver has other offers.
“I think Daniel is talking to some other teams about a possible job, as well as Red Bull. As for us, we love him a lot, he’s great, but we’re not yet in a position to determine who will be our third driver,” said Wolff for Sky.
Since leaving Red Bull in 2018, where he had seven out of eight career wins in five years, Ricciardo has not lived up to expectations.
With his behavior and character, the 33-year-old Ricciardo is one of the most popular drivers in Formula 1.
The Australian recently said that he does not expect to be in the championship next season, but that he wants to return to the competition in 2024.
