Australian Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo has declared he is not looking too far into the future despite being linked to Lewis Hamilton‘s vacant seat at Mercedes.
Earlier this month, Hamilton sent the motorsport world into a spin when it was announced that he would depart Mercedes to join rival top-tier team Ferrari on a multi-year deal from 2025.
Hamilton’s shock exit from the Silver Arrows ends an 11-year association with Mercedes, which saw the Brit win six of the world drivers’ championships between 2014 and 2020.
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Now, with an opening at one of the most successful teams in the sport, the F1 driver market has been blown wide open and speculation has run rife.
Just about the entire grid has been thrown into the selection mix, including Ricciardo who is only contracted to his current team RB (formerly AlphaTauri) until the end of this season.
With 14 seasons under his belt, Ricciardo is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid but has arguably never reached his full potential in a world championship team.
However, the 34-year-old has admitted to keeping his focus on the present, restating his commitment to the Red Bull set-up at the team’s season launch last week.
“I’m definitely not looking that far ahead,” he said.
“At this part of my career, looking ahead feels a bit like a year closer to the end. So it’s more reason for me to be here now and really take it race by race.
“I guess in their (Mercedes’) position, they are in no rush. So they will judge everyone, how they are doing, the driver market, whatever. So I think this is a good position for them.
“Part of me is also happy not to be involved in all this crazy stuff, especially this early in the season. So if the silly season happens without me, that’s fine with me at this point.”
The Perth product has also been in the conversation to replace Sergio Perez in Red Bull’s driver line-up beyond 2024 after the Mexican only just held onto second position in last year’s drivers’ standings.
It has been reported that Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko recently let slip that Ricciardo is not available to replace Hamilton at Mercedes because he has signed a long-term contract beyond 2024.
Meanwhile, ousted Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz believes he has choices for next season.
“There’s plenty of options out there (for 2025),” he said at Ferrari’s season launch overnight.
The 29-year-old Spaniard acknowledged that he had received a heads-up that Hamilton was taking his place in the team but was still surprised by the announcement.
He said he would consider all his options before signing with a team.
“I think it is going to be probably a longer process. I have, ahead of me, probably my most important three or four years of my career, you know, where I want to make sure that I am in the right place at the right time,” he said.
“I want to make sure I pick the right next destination for me. So I’m going to take my time to think about it, to have a look at all the options. Then I can just feel confident when I take the decision, I’ve given myself enough time and enough information.”
Leading into his fourth season with Ferrari, the team where he took his first grand prix win in 2022 and was the only non-Red Bull driver to take victory last season, Sainz reflected on his fond memories in red.
“I have very, very, very good memories in this team,” he said.
“My first-ever lap in a Ferrari around Fiorano (test track) is one of the most emotional moments of my career.”