Daniel Ricciardo's next F1 role teased by Red Bull chief after VCARB axe

Daniel Ricciardo's Formula 1 driving career is most likely over after Red Bull replaced him at sister team VCARB with reserve driver Liam Lawson for the final six races of the 2024 season

Helmut Marko has teased a new Red Bull role for axed driver Daniel Ricciardo.

The Australian's Formula 1 racing career looks to be over following Red Bull's decision to replace him. After three-quarters of a season in which the 35-year-old was mostly treading water, Ricciardo's seat has gone to reserve driver Liam Lawson.

Having already dropped off the F1 grid once, it currently seems unlikely that Ricciardo will land another race seat. But he could still be involved in the sport and with Red Bull going forward.

Long serving adviser Marko, 81, told German language outlet Formula1.de that the Milton Keynes-based outfit would be "interested" in keeping the Aussie on as an ambassador, and said: "He is one of the most popular F1 drivers, especially in the USA."

Red Bull benefitted from Ricciardo's popularity after the re-signed him as a reserve driver and ambassador in the wake of his McLaren axe at the end of 2022. But having experienced that role once before, it remains to be seen whether the eight-time F1 race winner would want to do it again.

And Marko acknowledged that as he later added that the driver "wants to have time to think about his entire future". Prior to confirmation of his VCARB exit, Ricciardo had admitted that racing in other series was a route he could potentially go down.

But he made it clear he isn't convinced that he wants to race anywhere else but in F1, telling reporters: "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.

"I know I'm still a competitor. I know I still have a lot of fire in me, but maybe that itch is scratched doing something else. It's hard. It's even talking about just being in the sport and maybe fighting for a 10th place every now and then.

"It's maybe the same with doing another series - and no disrespect to other series - but, because I've been there and experienced the highest of the highs, will I get true fulfilment doing something else? No guarantee I'll be good as something else, so is that gonna actually scratch the itch and give me what I want? I don't know."

Marko made it clear that he doesn't think Ricciardo will turn up in another racing series any time soon. And he admitted that an ambassadorial role might not appeal to the driver, adding: "If he no longer drives actively, does he even want these PR activities?"

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