F1 News: Daniel Ricciardo's chances of an F1 comeback questioned by Mika Hakkinen
Daniel Ricciardo's decision to spend next season off the F1 grid has been questioned by Mika Hakkinen, who is sceptical about his chances of making a successful return.
Mika Hakkinen is quite famous for announcing his own 'sabbatical' from Formula 1, which eventually became a full retirement for the Double World Champion.
Ricciardo's chances of a 2024 return have been scrutinised by fans and media alike, with many suggesting that a return will be very complicated for the 33-year-old.
There are no obvious openings at the top three teams (in terms of contract expirations) in 2024, so Ricciardo's chances of penetrating the driver market seem speculative at best.
Speaking on the 'The Race F1 Podcast', Hakkinen explained the differences between his 'sabbatical' and the one Ricciardo is about to take:
"Daniel has a different situation. His performance has been dropping, he's not going flat-out there.
"So people are not sure with him if he is quick enough.
"That could make it difficult, having a year off and coming back. Because if you're not quick enough, there's always some kind of explanation, some reason.
"And I feel he's not giving this information very clearly to media, to fans, to the team.
"That's a bit scary, you have to know why I'm not able to maximise my performance to the same level as my teammate."
There is plenty of room for debate on Ricciardo's future, which is set to become a prominent feature of next year's driver market.
Having declared his intentions to make an F1 return, Ricciardo will almost certainly be linked to any available seat on the grid next season.
Ricciardo's choice not to pursue a 2023 Haas seat indicates he will not settle for a midfield team on his comeback, but it remains unclear which teams will offer him an opportunity in 2024.