F1 star 'received offers' from NASCAR before retirement

Daniel Ricciardo reportedly received offers from both NASCAR and IndyCar teams before announcing his retirement from racing.

The Australian confirmed a new role with Ford Racing this week, joining the historic company as an ambassador, and confirmed his retirement in the process.

Ricciardo was axed from F1 back in September 2024 after disappointing throughout the 2024 season with Red Bull's sister team, and has since been enjoying downtime with friends and family.

Now, however, a report from ESPN suggests that Ricciardo had plenty of offers to join racing series around the world, even though he had already said no to a return to F1.

The above publication states that - as well as reports linking him with Cadillac in F1 for 2026 - Ricciardo received offers for a racing seat in both IndyCar and NASCAR, but that he opted to turn them down and is instead taking up an ambassadorial role with Ford.

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Ricciardo retired from F1?

The American car manufacturer are entering F1 in 2026, working alongside Ricciardo's former Red Bull team to produce power units to power the Red Bull cars from 2026 onwards.

However, ESPN have also reported that his new role with Ford will not overlap with their F1 commitments, ending rumours that Ricciardo may once again be involved in F1.

Cadillac have instead opted to pick Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas as their drivers for their first season in the sport, while IndyCar star Colton Herta has been signed as their reserve driver.

Ricciardo's new role means that fans will at least get to see the Aussie working within motorsport once more, but he will not be returning to racing.

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