The future of Daniel Ricciardo has been left uncertain after his Formula 1 career looks to have come to an end.
The Aussie debuted in the pinnacle of motorsport in 2011 with backmarkers HRT, before going on to race for the likes of Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren.
Following his sacking from McLaren in 2022, Ricciardo returned to F1 with Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTuari midway through 2023 and was retained for the 2024 season under the RB name. However, the 35-year-old struggled for consistency and came under increased pressure to keep his seat.
Following the Singapore Grand Prix – which many believed would be his last race – Ricciardo was dropped by RB in favour of Liam Lawson, who will race for the remaining six events.
With this latest axing, it is widely believed that the Aussie’s time in F1 is over. In 257 race starts, Ricciardo won eight races and grabbed three pole positions and 32 podiums.
Damon Hill thinks Daniel Ricciardo would be a ‘huge star’ in NASCAR
After his F1 exit was confirmed, speculation has been rife as to where Ricciardo’s career will head to next, if it is to continue at all.
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Ricciardo has said that IndyCar ‘scares’ him and has seemed to rule out that option. NASCAR has also been suggested, with Ricciardo stating that he would love to race Daytona after his time in F1 ends.
And this is where 1996 F1 champion Damon Hill thinks the Aussie could end up. Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast with Tom Clarkson, Hill highlighted what Ricciardo needs to have to compete there and stressed that he could be a ‘huge star’ over in America.
“Well you’ve got to have the love for it, Tom,” he said. “You can’t just do racing because that’s what you do, if it doesn’t excite you.
“I mean, he’ll probably go and do NASCAR knowing Danny Ric, he’ll probably want to go and do a Ricky Bobby thing.”
When Clarkson then said NASCAR is ‘such a difference discipline’ to F1, Hill replied: “Well, is it? I mean it’s not really. You’re going very fast in a car and racing people.
“And it’s in America which he’s always professed to love, that style of culture and racing. So, I can imagine him being a huge star over there.”
Should Daniel Ricciardo move to NASCAR?
In many ways, Ricciardo is already a hugely popular figure in the States thanks to the rise of the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
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A move over to either IndyCar or NASCAR would prove not only a new challenge for Ricciardo after F1, but also a chance to live his dream of competing in America whilst basking in his popularity in the nation.
With IndyCar seemingly off the table for the Aussie by his own admission, NASCAR is the most likely, with there being a few seats vacant for the 2025 campaign.
There will be some teams on the grid that might be willing to take a gamble on Ricciardo if he can keep himself fit and show the hunger to compete. Either way, the 35-year-old’s next move in his career will be watched with intrigued eyes.