Daniel Ricciardo lands new job and confirms retirement from racing in statement

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed his retirement from motorsport, declaring his racing days 'over'. The eight-time Formula One Grand Prix winner has revealed a new role as he embarks on a journey as an ambassador for the Ford Racing project. More specifically, the Australian will be working with the Ford Raptor truck line.

Fans have been waiting patiently for the 36-year-old's next steps after he was dropped from the Red Bull family toward the end of the 2024 campaign. Ricciardo was roped back into the VCARB squad (now Racing Bulls) with the aim of pressuring Sergio Perez for the seat alongside Max Verstappen, but instead, he struggled relative to team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.

This led Helmut Marko and Christian Horner to remove him from F1 altogether, putting Liam Lawson in the second sister team seat for the final six races of the 2024 season. Since then, Ricciardo has been largely absent from the public eye, sparingly making appearances or giving interviews.

Now, one day after a cryptic social media post, he has revealed his next steps. "I wanted to write you all a quick note to coincide with some exciting news," Ricciardo explained. "While my racing days are behind me, my love for anything with wheels will always remain high, and for that, I am proud to be partnering with Ford to become a global Ford Racing ambassador.

"I am going to be working closely with the Ford Racing team and specifically focus on the amazing Raptor brand and lifestyle that Raptor has become for many of Ford's customers." Ricciardo also delved into his memories with Ford, and his personal connection to the Raptor line of trucks. "I was thinking back to my core memories with Ford," he added. "First, when I purchased a Raptor back in 2017, before I even owned a home in the US. Priorities, am I right?

"Then, shortly after Ford announced it was partnering with Oracle Red Bull Racing, I came over to Dearborn and met senior leaders like Jim Farley (we had a ton of fun and a lot of laughs), but also had the chance to peek behind the curtain and see what was happening within your design department. Damn impressive.

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"I then visited the team in Cologne later that summer and had a great time meeting employees, watching a live crash test and answering questions in a town hall. Throughout all these occasions, Ford and its employee's passion for motorsports was very apparent. But what excites me most is how you all continue to find ways of having fun while innovating. Ford has built a proper business around motorsport and is using it to bring new technologies to your road cars. And nothing brings that to life better than the beloved, Raptor."

Ricciardo went on to conclude: "I couldn't be more excited for all the amazing drives ahead with Ford and for all the incredible projects Ford Racing has in its pipeline. From F1, to Dakar and from Le Mans to Bathurst, few companies have been at this for as long as you guys have. And from what I have seen, we have an incredible future ahead and I am so proud to be joining the team."

With Ricciardo's announcement comes a resolution to the question of his next racing move. The Perth-born racer had been touted for potential one-off appearances in the V8 Supercars championship or the NASCAR Cup Series, but neither of these is now likely after the Australian's retirement comment.