Daniel Ricciardo reportedly demanded astonishing fee to join Haas F1: "He wants 10 f***ing million"
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has claimed that Daniel Ricciardo demanded an exorbitant $10 million fee to join the American outfit for the 2023 season. The Australian driver left McLaren after two unsuccessful years with the Woking-based team.
A classic Daniel Ricciardo one liner. 😂 https://t.co/BTDASVVkpU
Despite failing to impress with McLaren in 2021 and 2022, Ricciardo reportedly asked for $10 million to join Haas F1 at the end of last year, Steiner revealed in the fifth season of the Drive to Survive Netflix docuseries.
The high asking price was revealed when the team discussed whom to hire in place of Mick Schumacher, who was let go from the American outfit at the end of 2022.
When Haas' top driver Kevin Magnussen suggested that the team consider Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 season, Guenther Steiner responded:
“We can’t afford it, Kevin. He wants 10 f***ing million (US dollars). Minimum.”
The team then chose Nico Hulkenberg for the new season, who will partner with Kevin Magnussen to drive the VF-23 in 2023.
Daniel Ricciardo, on the other hand, has returned to Red Bull and will help develop the team's RB19 as a third driver. He will play a crucial role in Max Verstappen's title defense this year, helping the team with simulation testing.
Daniel Ricciardo on his relationship with Max Verstappen
DTS producers talking about Daniel Ricciardo https://t.co/0luXtF83vE
Daniel Ricciardo has claimed that he has had a pretty good relationship with Max Verstappen despite their infamous collision at the 2018 Azerbaijan GP. The two Red Bull drivers came together in dramatic fashion in Baku, resulting in a crash that eliminated both drivers from the race.
The incident occurred on lap 40 of the race when Ricciardo attempted to pass Verstappen on the inside of a tight turn. The two cars made contact, resulting in Ricciardo's front wing being damaged and Verstappen suffering a puncture.
Speaking to the Dutch wing for Motorsport.com, Daniel Ricciardo said:
“Obviously there was the clash in Baku. But apart from that, I think we’ve always had a pretty good relationship. Very competitive, of course, but also a very good personal relationship, and we also communicate via SMS and stuff.”
The former McLaren driver has returned to his old team to take on the role of a third driver and will help Verstappen and co. develop their 2023 challenger, the RB19. It remains to be seen if Red Bull will be able to defend both their titles at the end of the year.