Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren Racing at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, the team confirmed Wednesday in a press release.
The Australian will leave McLaren one year before his contract was originally set to expire. In a video posted to Twitter, Ricciardo said the team decided to make a change and after discussion both parties agreed to terminate the contract early.
"We have decided to terminate my contract and mutually part ways at the end of the season," Ricciardo said in a statement. "I'll announce my own future plans in due course, but regardless of what this next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I gave McLaren."
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) August 24, 2022
Ricciardo joined McLaren in 2021, replacing Ferrari-bound Carlos Sainz, and has won a single race with the team, leading a 1-2 finish at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. But this season he's largely struggled to match the pace of teammate Lando Norris. Ricciardo is currently 12th in the driver standings with 19 points—57 points behind seventh-place Norris.
Daniel Ricciardo (left) and Lando Norris
McLaren said it will announce its 2023 drive lineup "in due course." The team has tried to secure Oscar Piastri, but the 2021 F2 champ is also being sought by Alpine, where he is currently reserve driver. Alpine needs to fill the slot vacated by Fernando Alonso, who is headed to Aston Martin for 2023 to replace Sebastian Vettel.
If the deal with Piastri doesn't work out, Ricciardo could return to Alpine, where he raced during the 2019 and 2020 seasons under the team's Renault guise after leaving Red Bull Racing. Ricciardo scored seven of his eight race wins in his five seasons with Red Bull. The organization gave him his start in F1 with junior squad Toro Rosso (now Alpha Tauri).