- F1 grand prix winner brutally sacked last month
- He has not made a decision about his next step in his career.
If Daniel Ricciardo wants the chance to conquer Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 1000, all he has to do is say so.
The charismatic Australian driver’s Formula One career may be over, but the door to a season in Supercars is wide open, Supercars boss Shane Howard said on Thursday.
Ricciardo, an eight-time F1 race winner, was fired from Red Bull Racing in September ahead of the United States Grand Prix following a disappointing 2024 campaign, ending his 14-year F1 career in controversial fashion.
The fact that he was brutally cut immediately after the Singapore Grand Prix meant that he will not receive a proper send-off from the sport.
While most speculation about the 35-year-old’s future has linked him to a possible move to IndyCar or NASCAR in the US, Howard issued an open invitation to Ricciardo as the Supercars championship prepares for the Sunday’s big Bathurst 1000 race.
Ricciardo has previously spoken about wanting the opportunity to compete for the King of the Mountain title at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit.
He has also tested Supercars machinery in previous years.
Touring car racing offered him a seat in 2022, when he struggled during his time at McLaren behind number one driver Lando Norris.
Daniel Ricciardo (pictured at his last F1 grand prix in Singapore last month) now has a standing invitation to contest the Bathurst 1000.
Held at the world-famous Mount Panorama circuit, the 1000 is the holy grail of Australian motorsport, and Supercars boss Shane Howard is desperate to get Ricciardo on track (pictured Brodie Kostecki at Bathurst last year past).
The Western Australian got behind the wheel of a specially prepared Holden Sandman V8 supercar in 2016 after getting some advice from seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup.
He also took former driver Rick Kelly’s Nissan Supercar for a spin in 2019.
“If Daniel is listening, we want you to run over here,” Howard said Thursday.
‘Wouldn’t that be fantastic? Have someone of the quality of Daniel Ricciardo as a driver.
“He has a huge personality. Having him in one of our cars would be very special.
“We have an open invitation for Daniel.”
Howard said earlier this month that Supercars would contact Ricciardo’s management at the appropriate time following his dismissal from F1.
Ricciardo has been replaced by 22-year-old New Zealander Liam Lawson for the remainder of the F1 season.
