F1 practice LIVE: Audi confirms F1 entry ahead of Belgian Grand Prix at Spa

Daniel Ricciardo admits he could retire from Formula One in 2023 “if it makes sense” as the Australian looks for a place to race next year. The 33-year-old’s departure from McLaren at the end of this season was announced on Wednesday, with the team paying £8.5m to end Ricciardo’s contract a year early.

The popular Australian, who began his F1 career with HRT in 2011, will retire after the final nine races of this season, having scored a memorable win at Monza last year – but no podiums for McLaren apart from that.

By the end of this year, Ricciardo will have raced for 11-and-a-half consecutive F1 seasons and speaking at the drivers’ press conference ahead of F1’s return from the summer break in Belgium this weekend, Ricciardo did not rule out taking a year off to assess his long-term options , but eliminated the idea of ​​competing in other motorsports series, such as IndyCar.

On whether he would take a year off in 2023, he said: “If it made sense, yes. If it made sense. It’s the only race I’m interested in, this stage of my career is the F1 I see. If the starts don’t match up and it doesn’t make perfect sense and I have to take time to reevaluate, then that’s what I have to do.”

An unusually thin Ricciardo – who trails team-mate Lando Norris by 57 points in the Drivers’ Championship – has spoken openly about his departure from McLaren but reiterated his “aim” to continue racing competitively in Formula One.

Lewis Hamilton boosted his chances of ending the weakest spell of his Formula One career by winning the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The second half of the season begins at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, kicking off a run of nine races in a dozen weeks. Hamilton is 112 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen after a poor start to the season for the seven-time world champion and his Mercedes team.

But the British driver headed into the summer break on the back of five consecutive podiums – including back-to-back second-place finishes at the final rounds in France and Hungary.

Hamilton’s hopes of ending a 14-race losing streak could also be helped here if Red Bull’s Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz opt to take on new engines, dropping them to the back of the grid.

And asked if he felt he was closing in on victory, 37-year-old Hamilton said: “I definitely do. We have been improving and becoming consistent in recent races. The team is coming together, making great progress and we keep pushing.”

Audi will join Formula One from 2026 as an engine supplier, following an announcement on Friday morning. Formula 1’s new powertrain rules for 2026 – featuring increased electric power and 100% sustainable fuels – are designed to make entry to the sport more attractive to newcomers and the German manufacturer is the first confirmed new entry in four years.

Audi say they will announce a decision on which team they will “line up with in 2026 by the end of this year”, with the company expected to take a controlling stake in Swiss-backed Sauber (currently racing as Alfa Romeo) and to enter as a full manufacturer.

“I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic car brand, pioneer and technological innovator,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said at the launch of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

“This is an important moment for our sport that highlights the enormous strength we have as a global platform that continues to grow.” It is also a great recognition that our transition to sustainable fuel hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector. We are all looking forward to seeing the Audi logo on the grid and will hear more details from them about their plans in due course.”

Audi – which is part of the Volkswagen Group – supports F1’s plans to be more sustainable and cost-effective, with a cost cap for powertrain manufacturers introduced in 2023 and F1 aiming to be net-zero carbon emissions by 2030

Porsche, another VW brand, has also been linked with an entry into Formula 1 for 2026 as the engine partner of current Conturctors leaders Red Bull.