Daniel Ricciardo to Leave McLaren at End of 2022 Formula 1 Season

McLaren Racing announced Wednesday it's reached an agreement to part ways with driver Daniel Ricciardo after the 2022 Formula One season.

Chris Medland of Racer reported McLaren agreed to pay out the final year of Ricciardo's contract, and he'll be free to join any team in 2023.

Ricciardo posted a video statement on social media, saying he's "not sure yet" what comes next:

The 33-year-old Australian joined McLaren ahead of the 2021 season after previous stints with HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing and Renault.

He finished eighth in the championship standings and recorded just one win during his debut campaign with the team. This season, he's finished no better than sixth through 13 races, leaving him a distant 12th in the standings.

While Ricciardo has been criticized for the lack of success, McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said McLaren also deserves a portion of the blame, per Medland.

"We tried everything we could from both sides. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it work, which is obviously also my responsibility, being in charge of the team," Seidl said. "In the end, it's a team effort between the team and the driver and that's how I also see it. It's a shared responsibility for also not getting it to work."

Sky Sports reported McLaren continues to work toward signing Alpine reserve driver Oscar Piastri to fill the void, though Alpine has argued it already has a contract in place for the 21-year-old rising star from Australia.

The F1 season returns from a monthlong break Sunday with the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

There are nine races left on the 2022 schedule. Defending champion Max Verstappen is cruising toward another title with eight wins in 13 starts.