Palmer: Ricciardo better deal with Haas or Williams

Jolyon Palmer finds Daniel Ricciardo’s decision to take a break and not participate in 2023 strange. According to the former Formula 1 driver, if Daniel expects to continue his career in the championship, he should agree a contract with Haas or Williams for next season.

Jolyon Palmer: “Honestly, I’m surprised Daniel is still smiling. The Daniel Ricciardo we know and love knows how to cut through the pack and fight wheel to wheel like he did in Mexico City. It was nice to see how he improved.

I think it is very important for him to play at a high level in the remaining two races because if he is out of the competition for a whole year he will be able to remember good results, and not from the previous terrible nine months. In any case, I find it strange the decision to move to third pilot status.

If Lewis Hamilton wins the title at the end of next year and suddenly decides to leave, I don’t think Ricciardo will be offered his place. Let’s face it: McLaren won’t take it, Alpine won’t. Will he be brought to the title-challenging Mercedes after the two seasons he spent at McLaren? I doubt.

I believe that if Ricciardo wants to recover his career, he has to go to the start and get results, not become the third driver. Of course I’m not Daniel, and I don’t know what’s going on in his head. Perhaps, and I know from experience, he feels demoralized after two years at McLaren. Maybe he feels like he’s had enough and for the first time in his ten-year career, he just wants to take a break. In this case, the role of the third pilot is appropriate.

However, if Daniel wants to prove himself and return to the start, and he has the strength to do that, then I think he should try to negotiate a contract with Haas or Williams before they confirm the contract with Logan Sargent.