Daniel Ricciardo has rubbished rumours he could sign for Mercedes as reserve driver before replacing Lewis Hamilton, insisting he wants the Briton to remain in the sport. His stance has made a move to the reserve ranks a possibility, with reports linking Ricciardo to Mercedes as Hamilton’s successor first reported by Sportsmail earlier this year. Those rumours intensified when Ricciardo was spotted leaving the Mercedes garage ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. While the prospect of replacing Hamilton at Mercedes may seem alluring, Ricciardo insisted he wanted the seven-time world champion to put off any retirement plans. Hamilton, meanwhile, has made clear he believes Ricciardo should not settle for a reserve driver role next season.

Follow MotorMouth on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•