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Daniel Ricciardo believes Red Bull would allow him to make a one-off racing appearance in a series other than Formula 1 this year.
The Australian is Third Driver at the world championship-winning squad after agreeing to the early termination of his contract with McLaren last year.
It is a role that will see him perform simulator duties in support of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez and which has the potential to see him complete tyre testing later in the year.
Asked about the nuances of his Red Bull contract, and whether that allows him to make a racing appearance in another category, Ricciardo believes he would have that freedom.
“I don’t want to say I’m sure, but I would think there would be some flexibility if I was really pushing on something that I really wanted to do,” said the eight-time grand prix winner.
“And if it meant Red Bull would get involved, then maybe it’s a win-win, but right now I’m not really looking at doing anything seriously or competitively.”
Ricciardo concerned by expectation
Reiterating his desire to take a complete break from racing, he added: “I kind of also just want that mental time off.
“Competition is awesome and I really do love it, but it’s a lot as well.
“I think, if I was to step into something else, inevitably there would be a level of expectation.
“So I want to make sure that I could just have fun with it because I think that’s really what this year is as well.
“It’s a chance for me to just take a bit more of a light-hearted approach to things and ease off.
“So I think if I went into something that was going to put a lot of pressure on me, I’m not sure I would actually enjoy it.”
Earlier this week, Ricciardo got behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang Supercar in Michigan.
There are currently no plans, however, for a cameo Supercars appearance, with the outing opportunistic as it was the Australian’s first visit to Ford’s HQ.
