Ford Will Work With F1 Driver Daniel Ricciardo More Closely

April 4, 2023 11:52 am

In early February, Ford announced that it would be making a return to Formula 1 racing in 2026 as part of a new partnership with Red Bull Oracle Racing, years after leaving that series. That also means that Ford will be working with Red Bull F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, who was last seen checking out the as-yet-unveiled Ford F-150 Lightning performance demonstrator model. However, it seems as if the partnership between Ricciardo and Ford will go far deeper than that appearance, according to Drive.

After helping announce the launch of the Ford Mustang Mach-E in Australia just last week, Daniel Ricciardo – who will make his return as a support driver for Red Bull next year after taking this season off – it seems as if there’s more to come in terms of collaborations between the automaker and the ever-popular driver, too.

“We love Dan, I think he brings something to the brand,” a spokesperson for Ford Australia told media at the Mustang Mach-E launch event. “So just like today, we’ll be using him as we think is appropriate.” The automaker stopped short of revealing whether or not Ricciardo’s name might adorn some sort of future special edition model, but the seasoned racer keeps a Ford F-150 Raptor at his home in California – a vehicle that he’s admittedly a big fan of. “I actually bought the Raptor before I bought a house [there],” he said. “Since I was young I loved them. We couldn’t get the Raptors in Australia and me and my friends just love utes and trucks and hoped one day we could get one.”

“It’s great because it’s a strategic, technical relationship and partnership between Ford and Red Bull,” said Ford Australia boss Andrew Birkic. “He’s just so personable – we were chatting in the car like he was one of my mates. Very personable, very approachable. And we’re thrilled that he could spend some time with us.”

We’ll have more on Ford’s return to F1 soon, so sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford motorsports news and ongoing Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.