Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the season

Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo will leave his current McLaren team at the end of the current season, after the decision to terminate the contract that links the two parties until the end of 2023, the British fold announced Wednesday.

"McLaren Racing and Daniel Ricciardo can confirm that Daniel's 2023 contract has been terminated before it expires, and the parties have reached an agreement for him to leave the team at the end of 2022," McLaren wrote in a statement.

"I'm proud of the effort and work you put in for McLaren," Ricciardo, 33, said goodbye to McLaren.

"It has been an honor to be part of the McLaren Racing family for the past two seasons," he added in a statement released by his team.

Ricciardo, the eight-time Grand Prix winner, joined McLaren in 2021 from Renault but failed to establish himself.

With the exception of his victory in the Italian Grand Prix at the Montza circuit in his first year, the Australian did not steal the spotlight, only to finish eighth in the final standings last year (115 points).

The Australian is ranked 12th this year with only 19 points, while his British teammate Lando Norris leads him seventh with 76 points before the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, the 14th stage of the world championship, at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.

While Norris, 22, is guaranteed his future with Woking headquarters in Britain, the identity of the team's second driver will be announced "in due course", according to McLaren.

And media sources suggest that the second seat in the empty team will return after the departure of Ricciardo to another Australian, Oscar Piastre.

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