Since he was axed from the Formula 1 grid towards the end of the 2024 season, Daniel Ricciardo has spent most of his time away from the spotlight but could be set for a return to racing
Daniel Ricciardo has teased a potential return to racing with a social media post. The popular Australian has spent the last year of his life out of the spotlight since he was axed by Racing Bulls, which seems to have signalled the end of his Formula 1 career.
But he could be poised to make a racing comeback after sharing a photo of himself on social media standing next to a truck with the Ford Racing logo attached to the front grill. In the caption, he simply wrote: „More around the corner…“
The cryptic post has sparked speculation that Ricciardo might be ready to make a comeback to motorsport. Ford Racing, recently rebranded from Ford Performance, currently competes in many different disciplines.
And that includes some in which Ricciardo has expressed a personal interest in trying. Rally raid and off-road racing is something that is known to appeal to the Australian, as is NASCAR – particularly in recent years since his popularity in the USA soared following his starring turn in the Formula 1: Drive to Survive series on Netflix.
Ford Racing is also heavily invested in sportscars, running programmes in the IMSA championship in the US and also the World Endurance Championship in the GT3 class. It also plans to add a Hypercar entry at Le Mans in the coming years.
Ford will also formally return to F1 next year in partnership with Red Bull, working with the team on its Powertrains department. But that is the one project in which Ricciardo is highly unlikely to have any involvement, having seemingly decided that his career in the single-seater racing series is over.
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In an interview last month, he said: „It took me a long time to realise I was actually doing it because, yeah, it’s a dream and you think about it as a kid. And when you’re there and you make it, you’re like, ‚Wow‘. It happens very quick.
„Obviously, I’m very appreciative for the career that I had and very grateful to do what I loved for some time.“ When asked if he could find something to replace the adrenaline rush of racing, Ricciardo admitted: „No… so that’s what I’ll… second half of my life I’ll try and find that another way, I guess.“
Ricciardo had been linked with the new Cadillac F1 project, though the American team has since signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez to be their first racers next year. Graeme Lowdon recently suggested that Ricciardo was not the sort of signing they were looking for as they assessed their options.
The team principal said: „Actually, I think he has publicly said that he is not interested in Formula 1. If I need to convince someone, then it is the wrong person. You never need to convince a Formula 1 driver to jump in the car. I have got no problem – everyone can make their own mind up.“
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