- Daniel Ricciardo has not yet publicly made a decision about his future sporting career.
- It comes after he was sacked by VCARB following the Singapore Grand Prix.
Speculation continues to swirl around the future of former VCARB and Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo.
The always charismatic Australian has not yet spoken publicly about his plans for the future and whether we will 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 best result coming in Canada, where he placed eighth in the standings.
Unfortunately, his poor form would eventually lead to his dismissal, with an emotional Ricciardo being sacked by the Italy-based Formula One team following his 18th place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Since then, Shattered F1 fans have struggled to accept that Ricciardo’s Formula One career could be over, while others have speculated that the introduction of the new American team Cadillac for 2025 could offer the Australian a path back to the main motor sports circuit.
But according to a report, it looks like Ricciardo could be lured to join another racing team, which could use its huge cash reserves to land the former Red Bull star.
Daniel Ricciardo could be offered a ‘blank check’ to join a motorsport giant
Toyota president Akio Toyoda is reportedly considering a move to land the Australian driver.
The team could try to deploy Ricciardo in the Australian Supercars series or NASCAR.
According Career.NewsJapanese carmaker Toyota has been considering a shock move to land the Australian star and give him a “main role in motorsport” in Australia or the United States.
Sources close to the outlet claim that Toyota sees Riccardo’s value as a driver, but also as someone who can drastically help improve the brand’s exposure.
“I’m told that Toyoda can see his (Ricciardo) value, not only as a driver, but as someone who can attract a large number of fans due to his natural charisma,” the Toyota source told Race. News.
It’s not yet clear if any offers have or will be made, but Ricciardo could drive one of Toyota’s GR Supras in 2026 or join its NASCAR team, Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Thanks in part to his role in Netflix’s Drive To Survive, Ricciardo’s stock has soared in recent years and he is by far one of the most popular names in motorsport.
Therefore, it is said that Toyota is willing to pay a high price to get the star.
And according to the outlet, the instructions to get the Australian star came from Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota.
“He (Toyoda) sees no downside to having him as the face of Gazoo Racing, which really is his pet project,” the Toyota source told the outlet.
Ricciardo was fired by VCARB earlier this year and there has been much speculation about his future.
Ricciardo has not yet spoken about whether he will return to motorsport, but there has been speculation he could join a Supercars team in Australia.
“And from what I’ve been told, it’s almost a blank-check operation to get him to say yes.”
Race.News added that an approximate figure could be around $10 million.
It comes after Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko revealed the reasoning behind Ricciardo’s sacking, claiming the affable Australian had been given a second chance.
“He himself was informed in time and, in his own words, he is at peace with himself. I also think that the fastest lap he set was a worthy farewell,” he wrote in his column for SpeedWeek.
‘He was given a second chance that no one else would have given him.
‘And this was done under the premise that a return to Red Bull Racing is possible if their performance is up to par. Therefore, the Racing Bulls team was only intended as a stopover.’