McLaren has informed Daniel Ricciardo it intends to interchange him with System 2 champion Oscar Piastri subsequent season, a supply near the Australian driver has confirmed to ESPN.
ESPN understands Ricciardo was knowledgeable of the choice by crew boss Andreas Seidl after the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday night and is now in discussions with the crew over a monetary settlement to go away his contract a yr sooner than its 2023 expiration date.
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A number of sources have informed ESPN McLaren and Piastri have signed a deal for subsequent yr and now solely Alpine’s enchantment to the FIA contract recognition board may cease him driving there.
On Tuesday, Alpine introduced Piastri would exchange Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso however Piastri tweeted over an hour later saying he wouldn’t race for the French crew subsequent yr.
Assuming McLaren’s contract with Piastri is upheld, Ricciardo now appears more likely to take the Alpine seat his fellow Australian didn’t need for the 2023 season, which might imply a smaller pay-out than if he sat out for the total yr.
Ricciardo raced at Alpine when it was generally known as Renault in 2019 and 2020 and the administration crew has fully modified since he left for McLaren.
Ricciardo was one of many grid’s strongest performers in 2020 and there’s a feeling within the System One paddock he wants a change of surroundings to return to his previous type.
New Alpine crew boss Otmar Szafnauer not too long ago mentioned he would don’t have any objections with Ricciardo coming again to the crew.
A transfer to the French crew would additionally include the interesting prospect of racing McLaren on monitor subsequent yr, with the 2 groups preventing for fourth on this yr’s championship and more likely to be equally matched subsequent season.
A left-field possibility can be for Ricciardo to interchange Mick Schumacher at Haas, though it’s believed Ferrari has the ultimate say over that seat on the American crew.
In line with a report in Racer.com, McLaren is stalling on formally saying Piastri till Ricciardo can discover himself a drive elsewhere on subsequent yr’s grid.
The Piastri coup is as huge a second for McLaren as it’s embarrassing for Alpine, who look set to have misplaced a two-time world champion and a possible future world champion to rival groups within the area of 72 hours.
Piastri, 21, will be a part of Lando Norris, 22, for his rookie yr in what might be a robust candidate for the perfect younger driver pairing on the F1 grid.