Revealed: Daniel Ricciardo nearly joined Alpine for the 2023 F1 season immediately after McLaren desperately tried using to shunt the Aussie driver there to mitigate the fallout of Oscar Piastri’s defection
Daniel Ricciardo, 33, could have joined AlpineFollowed his brutal exit from McLarenEventually signed for Purple Bull as a reserve
Seemingly unwelcome F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was near to joining Alpine this period immediately after he was produced surplus to needs at McLaren, it has emerged.
Alpine boss Laurent Rossi severely contemplated signing the 33-12 months-previous, who was introduced from McLaren with a 12 months left on his contract.
The transfer for Ricciardo was tied in with the spot of fellow Australian driver Oscar Piastri.
Alpine announced the Melbourne-primarily based 21-calendar year-old as a driver for 2023 – only for the young gun to declare on Twitter he had not signed with the French outfit and later joined McLaren.
In an hard work to mitigate the bombshell, McLaren chief government Zak Brown experienced approached Alpine with a approach to swap motorists: in return for Piastri signing up for McLaren, Ricciardo would be launched to Alpine.
Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo was shut to joining Alpine this F1 year following he was created surplus to necessities at McLaren previous yr, it has emerged
McLaren produced Ricciardo with a yr still left on his agreement, with his replacement fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri (pictured)
The program was discovered in a quickly-to-be unveiled episode of the F1 documentary series Travel to Survive.
‘I experience like I can enable. Let us near this factor out,’ Brown informed Rossi.
‘Daniel – I’d appreciate to see him right here [Alpine]….but which is only mainly because I’d appreciate to see him continue to be in the activity.’
Having said that, the program did not arrive to fruition and Ricciardo returned to Pink Bull as a reserve driver.
American group Haas also confirmed curiosity in securing Ricciardo, only to be priced out of the pursuit.
Also exposed in Generate to Survive, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner advised driver Kevin Magnussen the Australian was very well out of their selling price assortment.
‘He [Ricciardo] wishes ten f***ing million [dollars],’ Steiner said bluntly.
Ricciardo parted means with McLaren at the finish of last 12 months subsequent two dismal seasons
The Australian won 37 factors final season, compared to teammate Lando Norris’ 122
Ricciardo will get paid a staggering volume of income in 2023 even with not obtaining a race seat.
His put together offer from Pink Bull and the contracted dollars owing from McLaren was reportedly $24million.
Instead of signing Ricciardo, Haas secured professional driver Nico Hulkenberg to fill the seat vacated by Mick Schumacher.
The 2023 F1 period starts with the initially race in Bahrain on March 5.