What would have been an extremely intense three weeks for Daniel Ricciardo turned out to be a ‘vacation’ of sorts. As F1 headed to the American triple header, RB decided to axe the 35-year-old from the team and replace him with Liam Lawson instead (from the US GP onwards).
Since then, the Honey Badger has been enjoying his time off with friends and family. This last weekend saw him regroup with his close friend and Buffalo Bills’ quarterback, Josh Allen.
Ricciardo has never shied away from claiming his love for the United States of America. And while the Lone Star state of Texas is what he calls home, he was in New York recently to cheer on his buddy.
Allen and Ricciardo share a pretty special bond. The duo met for the first time at the 2019 Monaco GP and since then have forged a strong friendship. The former Red Bull and Renault driver spent the weekend with Allen and then went to cheer on for his favorite NFL side.
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There should be no surprise to know that the Bills are the Australian’s favorite American Football team. And he was in attendance at the Highmark Stadium last weekend to see his team romp to a 30-27 win over the Miami Dolphins. The Bills are currently leading the AFC East division with a 7-2 record.
As for Ricciardo, he doesn’t seem to be in a hassle to get back to racing as of yet.
What is next in line for Ricciardo?
Ever since the Singapore GP, the Aussie driver has not made an appearance in the F1 paddock. He was expected to at least return as a spectator at the US GP but he chose to snub the event instead — and understandably so.
That said, Ricciardo is yet to divulge details about what he plans to do next. A return to the sport could be on the cards for the 35-year-old. But that would have to now wait till at least the 2026 season.
With a lot of unknowns — in terms of both, car performances and driver form — going into the latest era of F1, Ricciardo could be able to place his name in the hat for a possible seat. Sauber/Audi still look like the most likely candidates given their obvious experimentation with a finalized driver lineup for the long-term future.
