Signing Daniel Ricciardo would be a “big hit” for Haas, team boss Guenther Steiner claims.
The seat currently held by Mick Schumacher is one of just two left open for 2023, with another German, Nico Hulkenberg, being linked to taking it.
However, a final decision doesn’t seem to have been made yet as the Italian chief wasn’t shy in trying to get the Australian’s attention.
“If he’s interested in us, he’s not shy to call me up. I am not going to chase him down,” the team principal told The Associated Press.
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“I want him to decide what he wants to do for himself, first, before being talked into something.
“I think he’s a good driver and I don’t know how he got in the situation he’s in now, but I think he needs to come clean with himself and decide what he’s going to do.”
Ricciardo has been reluctant to consider teams currently fighting towards the back of the grid and, in Suzuka, suggested the “reality” was he would not be racing in F1 next year, with his focus being on returning in a competitive seat in 2024.
However, Steiner believes the 33-year-old would be a great addition at Haas.
“For us, he would be a big hit,” he claimed. “He was a race winner and now he is without a job. He was a race winner just last year. I rate him as a driver.
“I have no idea why he doesn’t perform right now. That is for him to figure out.”