Following his sacking from Visa Cash App RB after the Singapore Grand Prix, speculation has been rife as to where Daniel Ricciardo will end up next.
The Aussie enjoyed a brilliant career in Formula 1 that began with HRT in 2011. Going on to race for Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault and McLaren, Ricciardo won eight races and grabbed three pole positions and 32 podiums.
The 35-year-old endured a difficult spell at McLaren which led to his sacking in 2022. His return to the sport with AlphaTauri – now RB – also bared little success as he was largely outperformed by his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
Liam Lawson will replace the Aussie for the remainder of the season as Ricciardo now searches for his new adventure, if he is to continue racing at all.
‘Not hard to imagine’ Hyundai wanting Daniel Ricciardo to race for them in WEC
Alex Albon could see Ricciardo moving over to NASCAR in the future, given his massive popularity in the nation thanks to his beaming personality.
Ricciardo has expressed his desire to race at Daytona, further cementing the idea that a move to NASCAR could be on the cards. But another category that could draw his attention is the World Endurance Championship, specifically with Hyundai.
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The Korean manufacturer are in the process of building their own LMDh programme with their Genesis brand and they could join the WEC grid as early as 2026.
As it happens, Hyundai Motorsport’s team principal is Cyril Abiteboul, who was Ricciardo’s boss at Renault from 2019 to 2020.
In the latest edition of GP Racing Magazine, Mark Gallagher writes that it is ‘not hard to imagine’ Abiteboul wanting to reunite with Ricciardo in the world of endurance racing.
He said: “Plenty of teams in lots of categories would love to have Daniel drive their cars, wow their fans and help court their sponsors. He’s that attractive beast, a quick driver who appeals to both sporting and commercial directors alike.
“It’s not hard to imagine Cyril Abiteboul’s bosses at Hyundai being eager to allow the Frenchman to renew the partnership they enjoyed at Renault in 2019-20, this time in WEC.
“No matter how Dan felt in the aftermath of his final race in Singapore, an introduction to Le Mans will allay any fears he will not get quite the same buzz out of racing beyond F1.
“It may not be 24 GPs, but 24 one-hour sprints around La Sarthe usually opens the eyes of drivers who previously thought excitement only lay within the F1 bubble.”
Thierry Neuville has ruled out a move to WEC from rallying
It is not yet known as to who will race for Genesis in WEC, or even if they will compete in the category at all given that they have not officially announced it.
However, it is anticipated that the team will race in the category, as well as the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Genesis are reportedly in talks with Chip Ganassi Racing over a potential partnership, with CGR’s current deal with Cadillac set to end later this year.
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One driver who seems to have ruled out the idea of racing with Genesis in WEC is Thierry Neuville who is looking to stick to rallying and carry on his efforts in the WRC.
Neuville currently leads the WRC standings with two rounds to go and can wrap up his maiden title this weekend at the Central European Rally.