sport news Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes DID try to sign Daniel Ricciardo for 2023 trends now Toto Wolff confirms Mercedes DID try to sign Daniel Ricciardo for 2023 as team boss concedes that the lure of 'coming home' to Red Bull saw him miss out on capturing the Australian By Ollie Lewis For Daily Mail Australia Published: 11:58 GMT, 6 December 2022 | Updated: 12:01 GMT, 6 December 2022 Viewcomments Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes were in the race to sign Daniel Ricciardo for 2023, but the lure of 'coming home' to Red Bull saw the Silver Arrows miss out on the Australian. Sportsmail reported earlier this year that Mercedes had earmarked Ricciardo as a possible successor to Lewis Hamilton after the Australian's contract with McLaren was torn up a year early amid a poor 2022 campaign. However, Red Bull won the race to sign the 33-year-old and announced him as their 'third driver' for the 2023 season late last month. Toto Wolff has admitted that Mercedes tried to sign Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 season 'Yeah, there were discussions,' Wolff confirmed via GP Fans. 'He is a super guy. There is nothing to say. It's a shame that he is not in a cockpit because Daniel Ricciardo needs to be in a race car. 'But it didn't happen. Nobody understands why the years in McLaren didn't work out like all the previous years did. I remember Daniel from the junior series and he was always there.' Ricciardo stamped himself as a star in the making during his time in the junior ranks with Red Bull, and Wolff has conceded that the Australian's fond memories at Red Bull played against them. 'Basically, we just needed time to figure out what we wanted to do and Red Bull was his home for a long time,' added Wolff. 'He knows the people and he hopefully has a good deal there.' Ricciardo was a man in demand after his early exit from McLaren following a poor season But Wolff says Mercedes could not compete with Red Bull's offer of 'coming home' next year After his return to Red Bull was confirmed, Ricciardo said: 'The smile says it all, I'm truly excited to be coming back home to Oracle Red Bull Racing as their Third Driver in 2023. 'I already have so many fond memories of my time here, but the welcome from Christian, Dr Marko and the entire team is something I'm sincerely appreciative of. 'For me personally, the ability to contribute to and be surrounded by the best team in F1 is hugely appealing, whilst also giving me some time to recharge and refocus. 'I can't wait to be with the team and support with simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities. Let's go!' Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility