Daniel Ricciardo gets a new contract, albeit from different source

Ever since debuting at the 2011 British Grand Prix with HRT and going on to advance through the ranks to Red Bull Racing, Daniel Ricciardo has been the poster child of F1. The ever smiling Australian, often referred to as the 'Honey Badger,' has seen an illustrious career in the highest echelon of motorsport with eight wins and 32 podiums to his name.

His current tenure at McLaren, however, has been far from perfect as the 33-year-old has struggled to adapt to what has been termed a difficult car to drive from the Woking, Surrey team. Ricciardo has been trailing his teammate Lando Norris since his introduction to the team in 2021. The current season has seen a similar trend as Norris has managed to outqualify Ricciardo 11 times in 13 races, with a 57-point gap between the two.

With the F1 silly season well underway, the news of Daniel Ricciardo not continuing at McLaren has been floating around for a while. The news of McLaren considering Oscar Piastri for a seat in 2023 has been floating around for a while now as well, and is only awaiting official confirmation. This leaves the charming Australian out of a seat in F1 for 2023 as far as the near future is concerned.

Australian telecoms company Singtel Optus has taken this opportunity to support the only Australian driver currently on the F1 grid and has announced its sponsorship extension for Ricciardo. An official statement from the telecoms giant read:

“Optus believes great things can happen in times of adversity and by having the courage and dedication to say 'yes'! We can’t wait for Daniel to show the F1 community again why he is so formidable!’’

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Daniel Ricciardo reacts to patriotic support from Australian telecoms giant

McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has not had the easiest of times adapting to the Woking, Surrey team's car, as is evident by his performances over the last one and a half seasons. With the imminent cancelation of his contract for 2023, Ricciardo has been cited as one of the most valuable additions to the F1 paddock, and has received wishes to continue from all over.

Australian telecoms company Singtel Optus has gone as far as a 2-year sponsorship extension for the 33-year-old, irrespective of his future in the sport. Ricciardo reacted to the company's gesture and told The Sydney Morning Herald:

“I look forward to spreading optimism, finding positivity and moving forward together.’’

Daniel Ricciardo did not divulge any details on his future in the sport, and it remains to be seen if he will drive in the 2023 F1 season.