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The likeable Australian stepped away from Formula 1 following the Singapore Grand Prix when Red Bull opted to replace the 35-year-old with Liam Lawson.
He’s since been linked with a number of racing possibilities, including a call up to Red Bull Racing in place of Sergio Perez for the final races of the year.
There have also been suggestion’s he’s signed with Cadillac, rumours which have infiltrated the industry such that rival manufacturers are treating them as fact.
“I would have loved to have Danny,” Luc Donckerwolke, chief creative officer with Hyundai Motor Group and one of the driving forces behind Genesis Magma Racing, told Speedcafe.
GMR will enter the World Endurance Championship in 2026, with an IMSA program to follow, as a means of increasing brand awareness.
One of the top 10 luxury car brands globally, Genesis has a particular interest in the United States, where it has sold 280,000 units.
One of F1’s most popular drivers, Ricciardo has huge market pull in North America and would therefore make an ideal target for the marque, which has already signed Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani.
“We were talking about this and Danny is fantastic,” Donckerwolke confessed.
“I met him in LA in late 2017, I think, and I find his aura… he’s a perfect brand ambassador.”
“So we looked at it and then we said ‘okay, he’s still bound for 2025 to Red Bull until the end of the season and then now we heard about his commitment … Cadillac in Formula 1, which is great.
“We will see in future, but Danny is fantastic. I find that he is the perfect person to represent the brand, but we didn’t get to discuss with him yet.”
Despite Donckerwolke’s assertions, it’s understood there is no truth to the Cadillac F1 claims.
Ricciardo’s camp has denied a deal has been done, a claim supported by other sources contacted by Speedcafe.
The Cadillac F1 program remains in its infancy, and while there is an understandable desire for an experienced driver with market relevance in the United States, the program is some way from making those moves.
It only announced Graeme Lowdon as team principal last week, and while work is ongoing towards having a formal entry on the grid for 2026, that work has not been completed.
There have also been suggestions the Ricciardo-Cadillac connection could refer to sportscars, or even one of General Motors’ other brands, in sports car racing next season.
The World Endurance Championship has only eight rounds making it far less intensive than competing in Formula 1, while IMSA in North American has 11 races from January to October – though not all classes compete in every event.
Again, that point was denied by the Ricciardo camp.
More recently it has been speculated Ricciardo could end up with Toyota Gazoo Racing in a deal worth $10 million.
There was little substance to those claims, with suggestions that the Aussie could race NASCAR or Supercars and become an ambassador for the brand.
Those were described as “all rumours” to Speedcafe with the prospect of a looming racing return for Ricciardo played down as the Perth-native keeps a comparatively low profile.
Speedcafe also understands Ricciardo turned down an offer to remain an ambassador with Red Bull following his departure, suggesting he has his own plans in mind.
Whether that includes a return to racing, imminently or otherwise, is unclear.
Over the Qatar and Abu Dhabi weekends there were suggestions Ricciardo could join Sky Sports as a pundit in place of the recently departed Damon Hill.
That too, Speedcafe has been told, is wide of the mark.
For now, Ricciardo is enjoying some time off and is seemingly in no rush to make a decision on his immediate future.
