Daniel Ricciardo Could Join Mercedes as a Reserve Driver and Wait for Hamilton To Retire

It’s understandable that he gets so much attention, having shown a lot of talent throughout his career. We are talking about a guy that managed to outscore the defending four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, in his first season with Red Bull.

However, he has been making questionable decisions ever since. From his decision to leave Red Bull to joining McLaren when his project with the Renault (now Alpine) team seemed to be on the rise. These career moves could have had an impact on the lovable Aussie as his pace took a big hit with the British team, leading to him losing his seat.

Ever since that happened people have been making speculations as to what comes next for him. From placing him within reach of a return to Alpine to striking a deal with Haas, he has been associated with every team. However, all doors appear to be closing as all the teams are approaching the drivers they want with Ricciardo not seeing any concrete offer so far.

With all that whirlwind around him, he began considering a position as a reserve driver for one of the top teams instead of gunning for a drive in a backmarker team. The latest name he has been associated with is Mercedes. Rumors are going that a well-placed source on the grid spoke about Daniel joining the Silver Arrows as a reserve driver. Mercedes are reportedly looking for a driver to cover off the possibility of Lewis Hamilton leaving the team at the end of the 2023 season.

That might look like a longshot dream for the Australian driver to replace the seven-time world champion. But with an engine freeze in place until 2026, Mercedes struggling to make their car work, and Hamilton aging, chances are the British champion could retire before seeing a record-breaking 8th title.

This would leave the door open for Ricciardo to join the team, and having him as a reserve would benefit Mercedes. His work ethic is great and he would have a year to get accustomed to the inner workings of the car and team, leaving them in a good place if Lewis were to retire. This could be a very risky move for Daniel but with his options closing and a chance at proving what he’s made of, he might just take it.