Following Daniel Ricciardo’s recent departure from Formula 1, speculation about his future is gaining momentum. The Australian driver, an eight-time Grand Prix winner, may be considering several opportunities, particularly in the Supercars arena.
Shane Howard, the chief executive of Supercars, expressed his eagerness to see Ricciardo transition to the series. In an interview with News Corp, he stated, “I think everyone would welcome Daniel with open arms, absolutely. Would we like to see Daniel Ricciardo in a Supercar? 100 percent.” He pointed to the planned 2026 race on a new street circuit in Perth, Ricciardo’s hometown, highlighting that it would be “absolutely massive” to see him compete alongside the regular drivers.
On the recent episode of the James Allen on F1 Podcast, journalist and broadcaster Greg Rust shared his perspective on Ricciardo’s next steps. “I think he’ll probably take a little breather to gain some perspective on what has happened here,” Rust noted. He added that although the idea of Ricciardo racing in Supercars intrigues him—given that he has previously driven one in a promotional capacity—nuances exist to consider. Rust remarked, “Compared to Mark Webber, who didn’t really warm to that idea, Daniel might entertain it.”
Ricciardo’s last Supercars experience took place in 2019 during a promotional event at Calder Park, where he drove alongside Rick Kelly. While many fans would love to see him return to his roots, Rust expressed his hope that Ricciardo does not completely step away from Formula 1. “It will take a little while for him to get his head around being involved in another capacity, I don’t know what that is,” he said.
Rust pointed out that before Ricciardo made his comeback to F1, he dabbled in commentary alongside comedian Will Arnett from the Smartless podcast. He suggested that a role in media could be an option for Ricciardo, stating, “If he could get his head around that in time, it’d be very hard to stop.”
Rust also emphasized the emotional difficulty of stepping away from a sport that has been central to Ricciardo’s life for so long, noting, “That’s why I think he spent so long in Singapore in the cockpit the other night; to stop doing that is a very, very difficult thing.”
As the motorsport community awaits Ricciardo’s next move, fans remain hopeful that he will continue to find ways to stay connected to the sport he loves, whether through racing or other avenues.
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