McLaren has announced Daniel Ricciardo will leave the team at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season by mutual agreement after terminating his contract a year early.
Ricciardo’s future at the Woking-based outfit had been unclear in recent months, despite having a contract in place for next year.
The Australian signed a three-year deal when he joined from Renault in 2021, but his ongoing struggles to adapt to McLaren’s F1 car has hindered his progress.
A memorable victory at last year’s Italian Grand Prix has proved the only real standout of Ricciardo’s McLaren career, which will come to an end after the final race in Abu Dhabi.
“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the McLaren Racing family for the last two seasons but following several months of discussions with Zak & Andreas we have decided to terminate my contract with the team early and agree to mutually part ways at the end of this season,” Ricciardo said.
“I’ve enjoyed working with everyone at McLaren both trackside and back in Woking and will be giving my all on and off track as we enjoy the remainder of the season together. I’ve never been more motivated to compete and be a part of a sport that I love so much and look forward to what comes next.”
Ricciardo reaffirmed his commitment to staying at McLaren earlier this year when speculation over his future began to circulate around the Monaco Grand Prix.
CEO Zak Brown previously hinted “mechanisms” in Ricciardo’s contract would allow for his deal to end earlier than planned, before retracting his comments to give Ricciardo his full backing.
While the team held Ricciardo’s desire to help turn his patchy form around, it is now turning its attention to looking for a replacement driver.
“I would like to thank Daniel for his dedication and contribution over the last two seasons so far,” said team principal Andreas Seidl. “Despite the shared challenges, he has always turned up with a fighting spirit and positivity and helped the entire team to always keep pushing forward.
“We will never forget that memorable race win in Monza which was a great boost for the whole team. We still have an important battle in the Constructors’ Championship ahead of us for the remainder of the season and we look forward to battle this out with Daniel and Lando.”
Brown added: “Daniel has been a great addition to McLaren, and it’s been a pleasure working with him. I’d like to thank him for all of his efforts over the last two seasons both trackside and back at base.
“It’s no secret that we hoped we could achieve more together but seeing him stand on the top step of the podium as a McLaren driver was a highlight. We wish him well for the future and let’s go enjoy the rest of the season together.”
McLaren confirmed it would announced Ricciardo’s replacement in due course, with Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri expected to fill the vacant seat alongside Lando Norris.
Ricciardo remains committed to remaining in F1 beyond this year, with the eight-time grand prix winner being linked with a return to Alpine – where he drove for two seasons – and Haas.
Reflecting on his period at McLaren, Ricciardo stressed he had “no regrets”.
“I’ll be announcing my own future plans in due course but regardless of what this next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I gave McLaren, especially the win in Monza, last season.”
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