F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo admits F1 return is not guaranteed
Daniel Ricciardo has accepted that his future in F1 is uncertain, admitting that a 2024 return is far from guaranteed.
Ricciardo will almost certainly feature in next year's transfer market discussion, as fans and media assess his chances of returning to the sport.
The 8-time race winner has made the decision to spend next season on the sidelines and positions himself to maximise on any openings in the market.
There are plenty of doubts about Ricciardo's chances of earning a top drive in 2024, owing to his recent struggles and the majority of drivers at the big teams being on multi-year deals.
His credentials are impressive, and he was one of F1's top performers for several reasons, but this will not erase the uncertainty surrounding his future.
Speaking to the media, as quoted by racer.com, Ricciardo explained his outlook:
"I think the risk is jumping into a seat next year, and it's shown here in my time at McLaren that nothing's guaranteed in terms of performance.
"So if it was, for whatever reason, to be a relatively unsuccessful campaign, I think personally I would probably be done with the sport.
"So that risk seems way bigger than the risk of sitting out a year."
There is no clear answer for Ricciardo's prospects in Formula 1, though he will likely remain in the paddock for 2023 at least.
Toto Wolff has recently confirmed that multiple teams - including Mercedes and Red Bull - are discussing a 2023 reserve driver role with the Australian.
Ricciardo will almost certainly stay active in the paddock next year, but even he admits that once you are off the grid, a comeback is never a given.