Helmut Marko confirms Daniel Ricciardo offered Red Bull lifeline days after axing
Red Bull supremo Helmut Marko confirmed Daniel Ricciardo has been handed a lifeline by the company, barely days after confirmation he'd been axed by the RB team.
Marko said he's "interested" in continuing the company's relationship with the 35-year-old Aussie, particularly given his marketability.
Already a popular figure among Australians, Ricciardo's profile – and indeed that of F1 broadly – exploded after the Drive to Survive Netflix docuseries was launched in 2018.
READ MORE: Hamilton's sad revelation about private battle
READ MORE: Suaalii centre stage as Super Rugby draw unveiled
READ MORE: Benched Aussie 'a little upset' as 26-year misery extended
Despite his up-and-down performances on track and a stint on the sidelines following his split with McLaren, Ricciardo remained a fan-favourite – a fact not lost on Marko.
"He is one of the most popular Formula 1 drivers, especially in the USA," Marko told Formula1.de.
Daniel Ricciardo has been offered an ambassadorship with Red Bull. Getty
Marko confirmed Red Bull has offered Ricciardo an ambassadorial role, but isn't convinced he'll take it, especially if he's not racing.
"I don't think so," he said when asked if Ricciardo would move to another series.
"And if he no longer drives actively, does he even want these PR activities?"
Marko said last week Ricciardo was sacked because he'd "lost his killer instinct".
Ricciardo indicated in Singapore he would likely step away from the limelight for the rest of this year to work out his next step, and whether or not that meant racing elsewhere or retirement.
He said there 'isn't much point' in a return to Red Bull as a reserve driver, a role he held at the start of 2023.
Ricciardo and Helmut Marko in Miami. Formula 1 via Getty Images
The speed with which the narrative has moved – it was only last month he looked likely to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull – means Ricciardo hasn't recently considered life post-F1.
He has spent a significant chunk of his down time in recent seasons in the USA, where a NASCAR switch remains a possibility. When individual driver numbers were introduced for the 2014 season, he chose No.3 having grown up a fan of the legendary Dale Earnhardt.
But he has ruled out a switch to IndyCar, admitting the prospect of racing on ovals "scares" him. That also rules out a shot at winning motorsport's fabled 'Triple Crown' – the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24hr. He won the third prong, the Monaco Grand Prix, in 2018.
Ricciardo said he's far more likely to turn down racing options than accept.
"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," he said.
Ricciardo during the Singapore Grand Prix. Getty
"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 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?
"[There's] no guarantee I'll be good at something else, so is that gonna actually scratch the itch and give me what I want?
"I don't know. I'll probably say 'no' more than 'yes' [to extending my racing career]."
The F1 season will continue at the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on the morning of October 21 (AEDT).
