Ricciardo was🧸 heavily linked to Haas last year after it🦩 emerged that McLaren were terminating their deal with him.

Steiner was caught by the Netflix ‘Drive To Survive’ cameras considering approaching Ricciardo as a replacement for Mick Schumacher, but he was too💝 expensive.

Team principal Steiner was asked by Sky if Ricci📖ardo was an option for 2024 but said: “No. Not at the momꩵent.

“Danieജl is with Red Bull, I don’t know how long for.

“I was with Daniel on the plane to Australiℱa🃏. We had a chat.

“Not about the contract🅺, just abou👍t general life and what’s going on.

“But we didn’t even go there, to be honest!

“Daniel wanted to take a year out then see what he🍃 wants to do next.

“When he is ready, he will phওone people up and say ‘I am ready’🔯.”

Haas eventually replaced Schumacher with Nico Hulkenberg, who is paired with Kevi༺n Magnussen.

Will Daniel Ricciardo return to F1?

Ricciardo is the third driver for Red🃏 Bull, and made his first appearance in the F1 paddock of 2023 at his home race, the Australian Grand Prix.

Sky reporter Ted Kravitz said: “He’s cut a bi♔t of a sad figure I want to say.

"He's been on the pit wall, the Red Bull📖 pit wall and I think he's starting to feel the pain of not being a Formula 1 driver. The first race he has been to as not a Formula 1 driver for a long t♍ime. And I get a sense he is starting to feel it a little bit.

"I s💫aw Danny Ric on the Red Bull pit wall watching the sessions and he looked to be in pain, he looked to be h🎶ating it.”

Ricciardo said about his potential comeback next year: “𝓀I don’t want to go back to ground zero. I don’t want to just be on the grid [in order] to be on the grid and struggle in 18th place. So I don’t want to be on the grid at any cost.

“I know that it’♛s harder to just jump straight into a top team in terms of availability. But I know that’s where I want to be. I know I thrive in those situations when there is more on the line.”