With RB’s announcement that Daniel Ricciardo will be leaving the team effective immediately, it seems as though his time in the sport has come to an end, at least for the time being. That said, the #3 driver still has many admirers across multiple disciplines of motor racing.
After reports were confirmed about Ricciardo‘s exit, renowned motorsport photojournalist Jamey Price suggested the Honey Badger make a move across the pond. Price, who covers many prominent American racing series, suggested a move to IndyCar for the 35-year-old instead.
Price took to his Instagram and wrote, “F1 will be a lesser place without you, @danielricciardo. Also, don’t be afraid of Indycar. Drivers with a lot less talent than you have found success. And if not in Indycar, come try IMSA. We have the best racing in the world.”
F1 will be a lesser place without you, @danielricciardo. Also. Don’t be afraid of Indycar. Drivers with a lot less talent and than you, have found success. And if not in Indycar, come try IMSA. We have the best racing in the world. pic.twitter.com/ULAv7eDfO2
— jameypricephoto (@jameypricephoto) September 26, 2024
Similar offers to race in America had also come Ricciardo’s way back in 2022. After a disappointing stint with McLaren, the eight-time Grand Prix winner was let go by the Woking-based team.
Reports had stated that McLaren themselves had pitched an IndyCar seat for the Australian with their Arrow McLaren outfit. Those talks, however, never materialized.
Will Ricciardo race in IndyCar after his F1 exit?
Back in 2022, the Honey Badger was quoted as being “scared” of the prospect of racing ovals. He had said,
“F**k that. Ovals scare me. My Formula 1 career/ambition is not over, so that’s really like first and foremost. I don’t want to deviate, I would say primarily for that reason. Ten years ago, I would have said yes. I’m OK to admit that I’m not OK with ovals”.
Two years on, it still does not look likely that Ricciardo will take up any offers to race in the series if they are made. When quizzed about a possible IndyCar stint if his time with RB was indeed up, PlanetF1 quoted the 35-year-old still being averse to the idea of oval racing. “IndyCar still scares me”, he had said.
That said, Ricciardo has hinted towards pursuing a racing career in other categories. “I know I’m still a competitor. Like, I know I still have a lot of fire in me, but maybe that itch is scratched doing something else,” he concluded.
