Former F1 star Daniel Ricciardo could be offered ‘blank cheque’ to return to racing as motorsport giant eyes up unemployed Aussie driver
Speculation continues to swirl around the future of former VCARB and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.
The ever-charismatic Aussie is yet to publicly speak out on his plans for the future and whether we’ll see him behind the wheel of a racing car again in the future.
The 35-year-old endured an indifferent season with VCARB, with his highest finish coming in Canada where he came eighth in the leaderboard.
Unfortunately, his poor form would ultimately lead to his axing, with an emotional Ricciardo being sacked by the Italian-based Formula One team following his 18th-placed finish at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Since then, Shattered F1 fans have been having a difficult time accepting that Ricciardo’s Formula One career might be over, while others have speculated that the introduction of new American team Cadillac for 2025 could offer the Aussie a way back into the premier motorsport circuit.
But according to one report, it appears Ricciardo could be lured to join another racing outfit, who could use their huge cash reserves to snap up the ex-Red Bull star.
Daniel Ricciardo could be set to be offered a ‘blank cheque’ to join up with one motorsport giant
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is reportedly eyeing up a move to snap up the Aussie driver
The team could look to deploy Ricciardo in Australia’s Supercars series or in NASCAR
According to Race.News, Japanese car manufacturer Toyota have been eyeing up a shock move to land the Aussie star and hand him a ‘headline motorsport role’ in Australia or the USA.
Sources close to the outlet claim that Toyota see Riccardo’s value as a driver but also someone who can drastically help improve the brand’s exposure.
‘I’ve been told that Toyoda-san can see his (Ricciardo) value, not just as a driver, but as someone who can drag in the fans in huge numbers because of his natural charisma,’ the Toyota source said to Race.News.
It’s not yet clear if any offer has been tabled or will be but Ricciardo could drive one of Toyota’s GR Supra’s in 2026 or join up with its NASCAR side Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Thanks in part to his role in Netflix’s Drive To Survive, Ricciardo’s stock has rocketed in recent years and he is by far one of the most popular names in motorsport.
For that, Toyota are reportedly prepared to pay a high price to land the star.
And according to the outlet, the instructions to land the Aussie star came from Akio Toyoda, the chairman of Toyota.
‘He (Toyoda) can’t see any downside with having him as the face of Gazoo Racing which really is his pet project,’ the Toyota source told the outlet.
Ricciardo was sacked by VCARB earlier this year and much speculation has revolved around his future
Ricciardo is yet to speak on whether he will jump back into motorsport, but there has been speculation he could join up with a Supercars side in Australia
‘And, from what has been told to me, it’s almost a blank cheque operation to get him to say yes.’
Race.News added that a ballpark figure could sit at around $10million.
It comes after Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko had revealed the reasoning around Ricciardo’s sacking, claiming the affable Aussie had been given a second chance.
‘He himself was informed in good time and – to put it in his own words – he is at peace with himself. I also think that the fastest race lap he set was a worthy farewell performance,’ he wrote in his column for SpeedWeek.
‘He was given a second chance that nobody else would have given him.
‘And this was done on the premise that a return to Red Bull Racing is possible if his performance is up to scratch. The Racing Bulls team was therefore only ever intended as a stopover.’
