Which of 2022’s four lost F1 drivers will return to the grid in future? · RaceFans

The end of the 2022 F1 season last weekend saw six drivers compete in their final races with their teams. But while Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly will remain on the grid for 2023 in different coloured overalls, four drivers will not be racing at all when the teams reconvene in Bahrain for the start of the new season.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is the only member of that quartet leaving Formula 1 of his own choice. The other three – Nicholas Latifi, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher – have all expressed a desire to continue racing in Formula 1. However, neither of the three have found a team willing to give them one of the limited 20 seats available for the 2023 season.

But just because those names will not be in the sport come the opening round in Bahrain next year does not mean that the book has completely closed on their F1 careers. In the last ten months, not only has Kevin Magnussen been brought back onto the grid after a year thrashing sportscars around the United States, but Nico Hulkenberg has been granted a remarkable return to the grid for 2023 – four years after his last full-time season of racing in 2019.

So of the four names lost from the field this off-season, which – if any – have the best chance of making a return at some point in the future?

Nicholas Latifi

After three seasons with Williams, Nicholas Latifi departs from the team he has raced with since making his grand prix debut in 2020. It’s fair to say his tenure in Formula 1 was unspectacular over that time, with Latifi struggling to take minor points finishes for a team that was rarely off the back of the grid.

In his three seasons, Latifi finished 21st, 17th and 20th in the drivers’ championship, out-scored by team mates George Russell and Alexander Albon by a total of 20 points to nine. Latifi’s achievements on track may not paint him as an obvious candidate for a second chance in Formula 1, but he has the perk of bringing decent financial backing from Canadian sponsor Sofina Foods – whose CEO just so happens to be Latifi’s father.

Daniel Ricciardo

As unfathomable as it may have seemed less than two years ago, Daniel Ricciardo will head into the 2022 off-season with his future in Formula 1 under severe question. Following two seasons of consistent underperformance at McLaren compared to team mate Lando Norris, McLaren cut their losses and bailed on Ricciardo’s three year contract with one full season still…