Ricciardo receives offer from McLaren

Daniel Ricciardo has been one of the more impressive drivers in the 2018 Formula One campaign, but his future has been shrouded in mystery with his current deal with Red Bull set to expire following the conclusion of the season. According to reports, he has received a huge offer from McLaren.

Ricciardo himself has continually said that his next contract will be the most important of his career as, at the age of 29, he wants to be able to compete for championships immediately having never won the title so far.

The main suitors for his services have reportedly been Ferrari and Mercedes, but according to Sport Bild, McLaren have tabled a mega-money contract for the Australian worth $20 million per season on a multi-year contract.

That amount would be treble the amount he earns at Red Bull, which is already significantly inferior to what his team-mate, Max Verstappen, earns.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko suggested that he is aware of the offers Ricciardo has received, and that McLaren have been tapping him up for a long time.

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“Our Daniel Ricciardo is the king of the market. McLaren offers him more every week," Marko Said.

The 2019 season could see a massive shake-up in the driver ranks for the teams as various stars are out of contract in the summer. As well as Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton will all be free to jump ship in the winter, and the Brit's decision in particular will likely affect where Ricciardo ends up.

“Ricciardo doesn’t want to sign until Hamilton has signed. It’s a bit strange. Hopefully it ends soon," Marko continued.

Crucially, Sport Bild, does not include any official quotes from McLaren, so Ricciardo's future remains unclear to the general public at least.

Should Ricciardo be recruited, it could be as a replacement for Fernando Alonso, who admitted this week that he would wait and see the direction Formula One moves in before deciding on his future, with a permanent role in the World Endurance Championship an appetising challenge for the Spaniard.