Daniel Ricciardo has "got to rebuild his on-track racing" to find his best Formula 1 form again, according to his now former boss at McLaren.
The Aussie completed his final race weekend for the Woking-based team in Abu Dhabi last weekend. Looking at what the future holds for his now former employee, chief executive Zak Brown said he could see Ricciardo returning to the grid in the future – but knows there are no guarantees.
"He came in as a seven-time [race] winner and he's going out as an eight-time winner but he's got to rebuild his on-track racing," he told reporters. "I think it only takes one race to do that and all you need is one opportunity."
Brown pointed to Nico Hulkenberg, who will take his first race seat since 2019 next season after being hired by Haas, as an example. He added: "It's been done before, look at Hulkenberg. I didn't think we'd see him back on the grid – that's not any lack of respect for Nico, but he's been out for a while.
"I definitely wouldn't rule [Ricciardo] out. In one sense, if you go to Haas and give it to [Kevin] Magnussen, that's one way to get back on the radar and the other is that a driver gets Covid, you are in a race-winning car, you go out and win the race and you are back on the grid.
"But I think it is hard to say which is going to create or will create the best opportunity to get back on the grid." While he will not have a race seat for 2023, it was announced this week that Ricciardo will return to Red Bull as a reserve driver.
In his first interview after that confirmation, the 33-year-old told Speedcafe : "To make things crystal clear, I'm still not on the grid next year. But look, it's certainly a way to still stay involved and to give me the time necessary to take a back step. And that's been no secret to myself.
"As the second half of the season went on, I just needed to step away for a bit, rebuild myself, reset a bit, and also just find the intense love for it. Because, at this level, if you don't have that, then I'm not doing justice for myself or anyone around me. I'm not saying I've lost it, but I’m in fear of losing it.
"Obviously a race drive is the best thing if I want to stay, you know, that's the surest thing. It just became more and more clear that I couldn't be doing 24 races next year – it just wasn't going to be the right thing for me. I think it would have just probably worn me out more than anything and it's at a point where I just felt a little exhausted, where I just needed to slow my year down."
