I’ve had a lot of long conversations about possible Ricciardo options when it comes to staying in Formula One, and honestly? I don’t think the prospects are great. Formula E will need Ricciardo more than Ricciardo needs Formula E, and I can’t see him making that move. A combination of 45-minute races, one-day events, slowly evolving technology, and goofy race organization has left the series constantly fighting for legitimacy. It’s a world championship, yes – but look at any comment section on any site that’s written about FE before, and you’ll find countless people criticizing the series. He’s still doing a fraction of what he makes in Formula 1, but he’ll put in much less effort to get it, given that FE drivers score in less than a month of days on the track every year.īut Formula E has no prestige. Let’s say Ricardo will be one of those high earners. The highest earners in FE were rated by Race You could earn about $2 million a year in 2020, but the average salary was somewhere around $750,000. Unlike Ind圜ar, each driver is paid on the FE network. Like Ind圜ar, Formula E is generally the series in which former F1 drivers go to get rid of the final dregs of their open-wheel racing careers (although I think this seriously hurts the racing quality that both series provide). He won’t win anything in Ind圜ar – not prestige, not money, not race results in major events (like the Indy 500). Sure, Ricciardo could bring some sponsorship dollars to Ind圜ar, but what’s the point of it? He is one of the top drivers on the current F1 grid just for his personality. F1 maintains its financial speed and dealings, but Racing News 365 It is estimated that Ricciardo earns an annual salary of $15 million from McLaren - a salary that could, honestly, fund a large portion of the Ind圜ar network. But Ricciardo is pretty high standing for Ind圜ar, a series that offers $30,000 for race wins and a paltry six-figure income for its star drivers, Driving Reports. I’ll go racquet for Ind圜ar every day of my life. Again, there are concerns about ovals, but the road and street track program likely won’t happen either.Ī look. It’s also possible that Ricciardo will also avoid Ind圜ar. But he won’t be coming to NASCAR for an entire season. I have no doubts that we could see him compete on the road courses with the series. Yes, maybe at a lower level, yes, just to dip my toe in the water, but as if someone offered me, “Do you want to race in NASCAR this weekend on the oval?” I’ll say, “No, I’m going to walk before I can run.”Ĭould we see Ricardo working in the moonlight as a NASCAR driver? definitely. When I asked him if he was interested in competing for ovalsHis answer was great no: Connect securely to any 12v car battery with our fault-resistant design that features anti-spark technology and reverse polarity protection.īut that’s not for one simple reason: Ricciardo doesn’t want to race on the ovals. The car battery starter pack is safe and easy to use without worrying about incorrect connections or sparks. With programs like Trackhouse Racing Project 91which is designed to put international racers behind the wheel of a stock car Do It seems a possibility. Why not NASCAR?ĭaniel Ricciardo is a huge fan of NASCAR and has been since he was a kid. But do you know what? I am sure this will not happen. Of course, this is all speculation on my part.
That means we’ll likely see Ricciardo run an endurance race – probably one of the new prototyping programs – in the future. But I’ll be honest with all of you: There are plenty of good reasons why this isn’t happening. Others see series like Ind圜ar or Formula E as viable options for F1 outcasts who want a more level playing field to compete on. Ricciardo is a NASCAR fan, so some people want to see him there. In fact, he’s probably going to endurance races. But if Ricardo leaves, he probably won’t go where you think. The Australian rider hasn’t been quite in shape this year, playing second fiddle to teammate Lando Norris, and all eyes are on Colton Herta as a potential replacement for Ricciardo. picture: Chris Graythen (Getty Images)Īs Ind圜ar’s Colton Herta prepares for a Formula 1 test in Portimao, Portugal for the McLaren team, speculation has prevailed about Daniel Ricciardo. Daniel Ricciardo poses on the dashboard before the start of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami.