Formula 1: Daniel Ricciardo confirms he'll leave grid for 2023

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed that he will not be on the Formula 1 grid for the 2023 season, and that his focus is on finding a drive for 2024.

The Aussie has had a tough couple of years with McLaren and that has led him to leaving the team a year early, with his original contract up at the end of next season.

Indeed, it was revealed at the end of the summer break this year that he would be bowing out from being a McLaren driver, with Oscar Piastri soon confirmed as his successor in the days after.

It became clear, then, that Ricciardo needed to try and find a new team that would take him if he was to remain on the grid for next year, with it apparent that he wanted to stay in the sport rather than try another series, though he also wanted to only move to a team where he felt he wouldn’t just be an also-ran.

That said, then, Alpine appeared his only real possible destination that would tick all of the boxes, with him also linked to Haas and Williams a little further down the grid, but the French/British team clearly had their eyes set on someone else.

Indeed, it’s been confirmed that Gasly will now drive for Alpine in 2023, with Nyck de Vries replacing him at AlphaTauri and that, combined with there being just two seats left on the grid – at Haas and Williams – for next year, has left Ricciardo to say he is going to step away for at least one season, though he’s at least being linked with some reserve roles up at the sharp end for ’23.

“To be honest, the Gasly [to Alpine] news I was aware of. I knew they were talking for a while and I knew they were very interested in Pierre,” said Ricciardo.

“I was prepared for that and so we were trying to navigate our way around that and figure out what was next. I think the reality