Five career choices Daniel Ricciardo could make after F1 axe

Red Bull’s decision to axe Daniel Ricciardo after the Singapore Grand Prix brings to an end an F1 career which spanned 14 seasons.

The 35-year-old Australian’s likely final F1 act was to snatch the fastest lap bonus point away from McLaren’s Lando Norris and aid Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s title bids.

Ricciardo, a winner of eight grand prix, will be replaced in RB’s driver line-up by Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson from the United States Grand Prix onwards.

With Ricciardo’s F1 career likely over for good, barring something truly unusual happening, we’ve considered what he may choose to do next…

NASCAR

Ricciardo grew up idolising NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. His race number (3), which he has used since 2014, was picked in tribute to Earnhardt who ran the same number for the majority of his career.

He got to live out his boyhood dream at the 2021 United States Grand Prix when he drove Earnhardt’s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR for a show run at COTA.

Ricciardo, who has a residence in Los Angeles, has expressed his desire to compete in NASCAR. So could a full-time switch to racing in America be on the cards?

"I grew up a fan of NASCAR," he said in a recent interview with Tourism Western Australia. "I'd like to drive a NASCAR, I'd love to drive around Daytona for example. But would I like to compete? Yes and no.

“I know it's not what I grew up doing and I'll probably get smoked. [So] I don't know if I need that [but] I would love to experience it.”

Supercars

Ricciardo has previously sampled Supercar machinery for promotional runs and has also spoken of his wish to race at the legendary Bathurst circuit.

"Obviously it’s the V8 that do the race there [Bathurst], but you know there's the 12 hour and stuff so maybe that's one I could compete in,” he said in the same interview.

“If a V8 team said 'hey, do you want to do a few laps around Bathurst, no pressure, just to experience it,' then I'll definitely take that up."

Having first tried his hand in a Supercar at Calder Park ahead of the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo might be tempted to have another go.

IndyCar

Back in 2022 when Ricciardo’s future was uncertain after being dropped by McLaren, he maintained he had no interest racing in IndyCar, remarking that “ovals scare me”.

Speaking to media in Singapore, Ricciardo admitted that remains the case.

“I’ve thought about it because I also thought about it a couple years ago when I knew I wasn’t going to start the 2023 season, but, I don’t know,” he added.

This seems like an unlikely career change, but perhaps Ricciardo’s view might shift now the door has been slammed shut on his F1 dream?

MotoGP

Yes, you read that correctly.

Ricciardo is a well-known dirt bike enthusiast and has admitted he would love to have a go at swapping four wheels for two.

However, it came with the following caveat: “I would be very, very slow and probably horrendous.”

Perhaps it would only be for fun, rather than a genuine attempt at scratching his competitive itch but we wouldn’t put it past this Australian daredevil.

Retire from racing altogether

Ricciardo said after the Singapore Grand Prix that he would give himself time to “figure out what’s next”, adding he would “maybe go on and climb mountains or something.”

Was that an indication that Ricciardo is thinking about calling time on racing altogether to seek a slower pace of life?

It’s not the first time he has talked openly about retirement, having told Tourism Western Australia: "I could genuinely see myself retiring in Margaret River one day. I just love the way of life ... It’s a breath of fresh air, everything slows down.

"I think everyone is just so connected down there to the place, to the land … everyone just feels so free and happy. The way of life there is just my vision of retirement.”