Five reasons why Cadillac F1 should sign Daniel Ricciardo

With the news of Cadillac’s entrance into Formula 1 in 2026 came a slew of questions about who its drivers should be. But there’s one very easy answer: Daniel Ricciardo.

The beloved Australian driver was unceremoniously dropped partway through the 2024 season, leaving a sour taste in fans’ mouths. But is a return to F1 on the horizon for Daniel Ricciardo?

Daniel Ricciardo has the experience to help Cadillac grow

Daniel Ricciardo’s move to Renault coincided with a period of decline for Ricciardo in terms of performance. His move to McLaren and return to VCARB were similarly fraught with unmet expectations. But there’s one big bonus to Ricciardo’s presence nevertheless: He knows Formula 1.

For all his struggles, Ricciardo remained a good driver able to score points on a weekend and provide reliable feedback to his team. He knows the ins and outs of F1, and he’s seen this sport at its worst. He’s also won eight races and is deeply familiar with the ladder to F1 as someone who wasn’t born in Europe.

There are going to be a lot of surprises in Cadillac’s first F1 season. Starting a team from scratch is an operation of throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, and the team is likely to make errors. But signing someone like Daniel Ricciardo means that, at the very least, they can hear Ricciardo’s advice and avoid certain pitfalls.

Daniel Ricciardo is a known entity

Daniel Ricciardo doesn’t just know about F1; people know about Daniel Ricciardo.

We know how Daniel Ricciardo talks and conducts himself, and we know the kind of driver he is. We know how he attacks other cars on track and how he conducts himself in the world of F1.

That can’t be said for many of Cadillac’s other potential options — its lineup of Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Théo Pourchaire, and so many more.

Further, Cadillac also knows that Ricciardo is available at the moment. Unlike other known entities such as Valtteri Bottas, Ricciardo has absolutely nothing publicly lined up on his schedule for the future, meaning he can become a spokesperson for the Cadillac team well in advance of the team actually joining the grid.

Understanding Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 exit:

👉 What happened to Daniel Ricciardo? The compelling theories to explain his sharp F1 decline

👉 Inside Daniel Ricciardo’s exit: 2am meetings, a ‘terrible moment’, and a ‘wish’ granted

Daniel Ricciardo has great sponsorship connections

According to ESPN, Daniel Ricciardo was integral in helping his former team secure its title partnership with Visa and CashApp — two seriously huge American companies.

America has been a tough nut for F1 to crack in countless ways, and the ability to acquire American sponsorship has been one of the series’ many hurdles. That trend is changing, but it could accelerate at a rapid pace should Ricciardo join Cadillac.

Further, Ricciardo is still considered to be, effectively, the ‘face’ of Formula 1 in the Drive to Survive era thanks to his likable personality in the Netflix docuseries. The Aussie driver is still infinitely marketable, and that’s exactly the kind of thing Cadillac could benefit from as it finds its footing in international waters.

Daniel Ricciardo is popular in America

For Formula 1 fans in America, Daniel Ricciardo became something of the country’s adopted son. While the sport has seen the brief appearances of actual Americans like Logan Sargeant since its post-DTS popularity surge, no driver has made an impression on American people quite like Ricciardo.

Newer American fans that didn’t grow up on a steady diet of F1 are often surprised by how insular and, frankly, European the series can be. It operates on a different set of standards of behavior and decorum, and that can feel extremely isolating.

But Ricciardo made a great bridge to the series for those fans. Here is a driver with an appreciation for American culture and American motorsport, who’s quick with a laugh and who at least seems like he’d be a great guy to grab a beer with.

Yes, it’d be great for Cadillac to sign an American driver — but as far as experienced drivers go, Ricciardo is as close to American as you can get.

Cadillac can give Daniel Ricciardo the goodbye he deserved

No matter your feelings on Ricciardo as a driver, there’s a good chance you agree with one key point: His dismissal from VCARB in 2024 was handled poorly.

Several days after a dismal performance at the Singapore Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo was sacked. The move came during a short autumn break period, and just before the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, which has become something of Ricciardo’s adopted home race. The driver was denied a chance to say goodbye; rather, he was simply gone.

Cadillac could instantly endear itself to a lot of people if it gives Daniel Ricciardo the retirement tour he deserves.

Part of what makes the Cadillac program so compelling is the fact that the marque is looking to not only bring in American drivers, but to also firmly establish itself in the lower levels of the junior F1 ladder. However, it’ll take a few years before that program is fully set up, or before an American is ready to join F1.

Signing Ricciardo would fill one of Cadillac’s seats with an experienced driver, yes — but it would also be a genius PR move. Cadillac could give Ricciardo a chance to end his tenure in Formula 1 on his own terms.

Read next: Cadillac F1: Five drivers we’d love to see join the new American team