Daniel Ricciardo hints at a shock return to racing after unhappy exit from F1
Former Red Bull Formula One Driver Daniel Ricciardo has hinted that he could be set to make a bombshell return to racing.
It interestingly comes just three months after the 36-year-old penned an open letter to fans, claiming: ‘My racing days were behind me.’
In that letter, Ricciardo had announced that he would be taking up a new role as a global ambassador for Ford’s racing division. The Aussie star wrote that he was ‘specifically going to be focusing on the amazing Raptor brand’.
In October, Ricciardo was invited to attend Ford’s Raptor Rally in Lake Havasu in Arizona. The Aussie driver published a reel on Instagram of his time at the event, showing himself sitting in the passenger seat of a Raptor T1+ prototype, before getting behind the wheel of a Raptor himself.
And interestingly, Ricciardo claimed that he could be keen to participate in upcoming Raptor Rallies in 2026, with Mexico’s Baja 1000 and Australia’s Finke Desert Race both potential events he could set his eye on.
‘The itch for Baja is there, but I’ve got a lot to learn,’ Ricciardo said to Ford.
Ex-Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo (right) has hinted that he could return to racing but not in Formula One
Ricciardo is a brand ambassador for Ford and recently hinted that he might want to become a Ford Raptor Rally driver and compete in events next year
A few more of these events, and then ask me next year, and we’ll see where I’m at!’
Ricciardo’s last competitive race came at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
Ricciardo began his Formula One journey back in 2011, before going on to race for HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, AlphaTauri and RB.
Ricciardo had struggled to score points during the 2024 championship, with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko revealing that the Australian had ‘lost his killer instinct’ and was subsequently dropped.
Amid speculation that Ricciardo could start competing for Ford professionally, the manufacturer’s global racing boss, Mark Rushbrook, told the KTM Summer Grill podcast that no decision has been made.
‘Honestly, right now, he has so much passion for off-road and for Ford Raptors,’ Rushbrook explained.
‘He bought a Ford Raptor long before we ever had a relationship with him that he’s kept in Los Angeles.
‘When we first met him and he first came to Dearborn when we announced a relationship in 2023, he just wanted to drive Raptors.’
It comes a year after he was dropped by RB at the Singapore Grand Prix, with Ricciardo having also stated that his racing career was behind him
It appears that if Ricciardo did intend to return to racing, it would not be back in Formula One, with the Aussie recently seen watching dirt bikes and
‘And then when he was out of the seat in Formula 1, and we talked about, well, what is your passion? We knew it was Raptors and it was a match that he wanted to do more there with us.
‘So we had him at Raptor Rally a couple months ago, we’ve had him doing a lot of other off-road stuff around F1 Las Vegas, and he’s enjoying that so much.
‘We’re enjoying that time with him, and the benefit that we get from that.
‘I guess, TBD, what we’ll see in the future. At this point, I can say there is no plan for competition, but you never know what the future holds.’
