Formula 1: 3 possible landing spots for Daniel Ricciardo in 2021

Mercedes

It was believed in the 2018 season that if Daniel Ricciardo did opt to leave Red Bull Racing after the year, he would leave for either Ferrari or Mercedes. Now he could have a chance to drive for one of the two once again. If not Ferrari, there is also an open seat at Mercedes.

There are technically two seats open at the Silver Arrows for the 2021 season, as Lewis Hamilton still hasn’t officially signed with the team for past 2020. But assuming that happens as expected, Mercedes still have Valtteri Bottas, whose contract also expires at the end of the 2020 season.

The 30-year-old Finn is set to enter his fourth year with the Brackley-based team, and it is also his fourth year driving for the team on a one-year deal.

Team principal and CEO Toto Wolff has hinted at Bottas’s return for 2021, vowing to make negotiations with him a lot smoother in 2020 after there were many rumors about his future in 2019 before he was finally confirmed by the team for the 2020 season in late August.

This certainly doesn’t guarantee a return to Mercedes, but the end of the day, Bottas is a solid number two driver behind Hamilton who is capable of winning races and being a good teammate.

Since joining the team, Mercedes have won all three driver championships with Hamilton and all three constructor championships. Should this continue, the one-year deals for Bottas likely will also.

But if anything of that nature is compromised in 2020, don’t expect Mercedes to waste any time trying to fix it, and Ricciardo could be the perfect fix.

In five years at Red Bull Racing during a span when Mercedes won five driver championships and five constructor standings, Ricciardo won seven races. Bottas has seven wins in three years at Mercedes. Hamilton has 31 in the same span.

But if Mercedes re-sign Bottas alongside Hamilton, where else could Ricciardo go?