Haas team principal Guenther Steiner revealed he made an approach to Daniel Ricciardo about a drive next year.
The team confirmed today it has hired Nico Hulkenberg to replace Mick Schumacher in its line-up next year. However Steiner indicated other drivers were under consideration for the drive.One of them was Ricciardo, whose second season at McLaren began poorly and eventually led the team to cancel his deal to drive for them again next year. Steiner spoke to Ricciardo before that was announced in August.
“At the beginning I reached out, actually before the McLaren thing happened,” he told media including RaceFans in Abu Dhabi. “I reached out to see what he was doing next year. But then we didn’t go anywhere.”
Despite Ricciardo’s race-winning pedigree, Steiner admitted it wouldn’t be an easy decision for any team to hire him after what has been an unexpectedly poor two seasons for him at McLaren, aside from his surprise 2021 victory at Monza.
“Daniel this year obviously he didn’t do well otherwise he would be still at McLaren next year,” said Steiner. “So I think we have to consider that one as well.
“We would have known that in the moment it’s not his height of his career. And I still don’t get it because I think he’s a very good driver because he won races with Red Bull, he was very good, and this year it just didn’t come together.
“So if you take somebody like this you are again taking the risk of can you bring him back or not?”
However Ricciardo did not pursue a drive at Haas. “He never spoke out,” said Steiner. “He still doesn’t speak with me, you know?
“And he better [not] after last weekend when he crashed into us,” Steiner added, jokingly. “That’s it, I don’t answer his phone call anymore.”
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Jere (@jerejj)
17th November 2022, 11:58
So Danny Ric’s uninterest in driving in a lower midfield team ultimately was the sticking point.
Avro Anson (@avroanson)
17th November 2022, 12:22
Don’t forget that at the time this discussion took place DR still had the seat at McLaren and presumably thought he was reasonably safe there.
In hindsight going to Haas may have been a better option for him than sitting out a year. By 2024 he’s going to be very much Yesterday’s Man.
Claus J
17th November 2022, 13:35
Well, Mag and Hulk were Yesterday’s Men as well :o)
I don’t know how long they signed Hulk for; but afaik Mag’s contract ends next year, so Danny could be in a Haas 2024… He might even want to if all the talk of Moneygram and P8 in constructors allowing the team to go full budget is true.
Let’s see. Very little is impossible.
praxis (@praxis)
17th November 2022, 12:47
It’s easy to point out that DR shouldn’t rate himself that highly given his results in last couple of years. It’s easy to say that even Haas would’ve been a decent choice, if he could produce some strong results in 2023. It’s easy to to say that DR’s management been making some bad choices. It’s easy to point out that a driver’s reputation and value are solely based on their on-track performance, specially when we compare it to what’s Norris been doing.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
17th November 2022, 12:56
Haas approaching Ricciardo was about as optimistic as Norris approaching RBR.
Philby (@philby77)
17th November 2022, 13:39
From HRT to Haas that’s a full circle and obviously nothing gratifying.
Only Facts!
17th November 2022, 14:51
Ricciardo is probably the only one who still believes in his talent, although I think he’s starting to doubt that himself.
But give him a year to Detox and bring him back on a front-planted-tail-happy car, like RBR, and he may pull an Alonso style come back.
The irony is that he left RBR to stay away from the wing man role. And that is just what he may do at Mercedes or RBR if they decide to sign him.