F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo reveals his contract talks with Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo has set his sights on a return to Red Bull in 2023 after completing his final race for McLaren in Abu Dhabi.
Ricciardo's recent struggles have changed the trajectory of his career, with McLaren electing to terminate his contract prematurely after a difficult two seasons.
The Australian's race victory in Monza was - unfortunately - an anomaly in his McLaren spell, which ultimately proved extremely damaging.
Looking ahead to 2023, Ricciardo is set to stay active within the paddock by joining Red Bull as an ambassador.
As he explained to the media in Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo hopes to spend next year recharging whilst also preparing for a potential comeback.
"It's obviously beat me down a bit, the last couple of years, and that's why I need some time removed from it to just like -
"I don't want to go deep and say, like, 'find myself', but sure, find a part of myself again and rebuild a little bit.
"There were certainly some races I felt a bit more comfortable, but that was the struggle.
"I'd have some races where I'd be like ', oh, we're back', and then all of a sudden, a week later, we'd be back where we were.
"That... inconsistency and a little bit of the unknown is what made it so tricky."
Ricciardo was also questioned on his chances of joining Red Bull next season:
"That is the, let's say, highly likely the place for me.
"I can't say 100% until things are signed off and whatever, but that's certainly what's the closest now...
"I still made it clear [to Red Bull] that I need some time off for myself, to get away a little but - but yeah, I'll be around to some extent and try to stay involved."