Mercedes to save Daniel Ricciardo
The German team may have taken an offer.
His departure from McLaren is announced officially. At that moment his professional Formula 1 driver career is in danger without a new team. Mercedes has taken the first offer during that uncertainty, however it seems to be only an emergency opportunity.
There’s no official statement yet, however it’s known that Ricciardo’s agents had talks with the team. They are looking for opportunities to save the Australian driver by making him Mercedes’ reserved driver- in case of having no team at the end of the season.
Ricciardo has been taking about making a gap year. He would not mind it, though it is not the main plan. Mercedes’ reserved driver position would be a better scenario to keep himself quite close to Formula 1 and stay in a the needed shape. One or two years in that position could strength him as well as the amount of confidence which could be gained by testing the unfitting 2022 car.
As an interesting side effect that signing Ricciardo as Mercedes’ reserved driver could be Nick de Vries’ luck. The decision would make him free from Mercedes and give liberal career choice.