Zak Brown believes Daniel Ricciardo could return to McLaren but praises ‘sensational’ Oscar Piastri

Ricciardo was dropped by McLaren at the end of 2022 and has since re-joined Red Bull as a reserve driver

McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Daniel Ricciardo could re-join the team in the future “if the stars align” despite his contract being cancelled a year early.

Australian driver Ricciardo joined McLaren in 2021 but despite a memorable victory at the Italian Grand Prix that year, 2022 was disappointing as Ricciardo struggled to perform consistently.

His deal - set to expire at the end of 2023 - was cancelled a year early, with the Woking-based team opting to sign 2021 Formula 2 champion and fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri to partner Lando Norris this year.

Ricciardo, who raced in Formula 1 for 11-and-a-half years, has since re-joined Red Bull as a reserve driver but Brown, in an interview on McLaren’s YouTube channel, did not rule out the 33-year-old returning sometime down the line.

“He’s [Ricciardo’s] got the talent,” Brown said. “He’s showed us that in Monza and he’s won eight Grands Prix.

“It’s frustrating, for all of us. I very much hope to see him on the grid again in Formula 1 which is his desire and the door remains open for him to be in a McLaren in the future. If the stars align, I’d love to go racing with him again.”

However, Brown is undoubtedly enthused by Piastri ahead of his first season in F1, and is “very excited” at his driver line-up for 2023 as McLaren look to improve on their fifth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship last year.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Daniel Ricciardo could re-join the team in the future “if the stars align” (Getty Images)

“We think Oscar is going to be a sensational racing driver,” Brown added. “If you look at his career to date he’s won a lot of championships in his first year, which always tells you a driver is special.

“He’s got a great mental approach to the sport and now that we feel Lando has a lot of experience, we feel like we have a great blend of experience and youth - our experience just also happens to have youth.

“We sit here very excited with the potential of our driver line-up of Lando and Oscar for the foreseeable future.”

The 2023 season, which currently has a mid-April slot to fill as a result of the Chinese Grand Prix’s cancellation, starts in Bahrain on March 5.