Daniel Ricciardo has effectively called time on his racing career in an open letter for his new employer, Ford, less than a year on from the end of his Formula 1 career.
Ricciardo returned to F1 in mid-2023 via Red Bull’s AlphaTauri team, having left McLaren two years into a three-year contract at the end of 2022.
He came back with the sole aim of returning to the Red Bull Racing seat he’d vacated at the end of 2018, but couldn’t do enough to convince Red Bull, which dropped him from its second squad after the Singapore Grand Prix last October.
The 36-year-old has not raced since then and, while a return to F1 was never realistically on the cards, whether he’d race elsewhere remained an open question.
There were teases of a link-up with Ford on Thursday, and the American manufacturer has links across motorsport series from F1 (via Red Bull) to a looming hypercar programme for the Le Mans 24 Hours and a presence at the Dakar Rally via the Ford Raptor project.
But on Friday, it was confirmed that Ricciardo would become a ‘Global Ford Racing Ambassador’, although he won’t be getting back behind the wheel for anything competitive at least.
“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,” eight-time grand prix winner Ricciardo wrote in an open letter published by Ford.
“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.
“So why now, and why me? When I decided it was time to retire, I thought long and hard about finding the most authentic way to stay connected to the world of motorsports.
“For me, racing was always about having fun. It made me happy and created memories that will last a lifetime.”
Ricciardo first met senior Ford leaders including Jim Farley when Red Bull announced its partnership with Ford in early 2023, while Ricciardo was serving as the team’s reserve driver.
“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,” Ricciardo added.
“From F1 to Dakar and from Le Mans to Bathurst, few companies have been at this for as long as you guys have. From what I have seen, we have an incredible future ahead, and I am so proud to be joining the team.”
Ricciardo had hinted at his retirement plans earlier this year, but this is a firm statement that his racing days are behind him.
