Daniel Ricciardo has repeatedly said that his days in Formula 1 are over. He still has the smile and the charm that lights up a room, but he has been emphatic that he has finished racing. And yet, Formula 1 doesn’t seem quite ready to let him go. This became startlingly clear when a 20-second teaser video sent the internet into overdrive, with fans convinced that they had spotted Ricciardo preparing for a return to the track.
The clip, released as part of a sponsorship announcement between Formula 1 and PepsiCo, seemed innocuous enough at first. A driver zips up a suit. Gloves are pulled on. A helmet is lowered into place. The visor comes down. That’s it. No name. No logo. No voice. Just one cryptic visual, and yet that was more than enough.
F1 fans quickly leapt into action, analysing every frame with forensic precision. Amid the layers of fabric and carbon fibre, a fragment of the face was visible: specifically, a left eye and the bridge of the nose. To many, there was no doubt: That slightly hooked profile, the intensity in the eye and the shape of the brow… it had to be Ricciardo.
Screenshots were compared to images from his last Formula 1 appearance at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Zoomed-in frames, side-by-side composites and GIFs of his helmet habits emerged online. The conclusion from the fanbase was swift and loud: He’s back.
What’s more, should Max Verstappen’s race ban come to fruition, the fan favourite would be very welcome to take the Dutchman’s race seat.
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Daniel Ricciardo’s value to Formula 1 has always transcended lap times. While his eight Grand Prix victories and spectacular drives with Red Bull and Renault established him as a top-class driver, it was his off-track persona that elevated him to global stardom.
Through his starring role in Drive to Survive, Ricciardo became the face of the sport’s Netflix-fuelled boom, turning millions of new viewers into dedicated fans. With his cheeky grin, Australian slang and unfiltered honesty, he achieved what few in the paddock have: mainstream crossover appeal.
So it’s no surprise that, even after a painful final chapter with Racing Bulls, where he was dropped midway through the 2024 season to make way for Liam Lawson, Ricciardo’s gravitational pull remains strong.
The new PepsiCo campaign seems to deliberately tap into that lingering affection, whether or not he actually features in it. It’s nostalgia marketing at its finest. And Formula 1 knows exactly what it’s doing.
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Despite the buzz, a full-time return to the grid in 2025 appears highly unlikely. This is not because fans don’t want it, but because the available options simply don’t align with Ricciardo’s stature or expectations.
When Ricciardo rejoined the Red Bull family via AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) in 2023, many assumed it was an audition for a return to the main squad alongside Max Verstappen. However, he never found consistent form and was regularly outpaced by his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. By mid-2024, the dream was over.
Even now, with three of the four Red Bull programme seats technically open for 2026, Ricciardo isn’t a serious contender. Red Bull has already moved towards promoting younger drivers, with Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson and Ayumu Iwasa all waiting for their chance. The idea of slotting Ricciardo back into the top team, particularly as a partner for the still dominant Verstappen, is considered implausible.
Elsewhere, most of the top teams have confirmed their line-ups. McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Williams, Haas and Audi-Sauber have confirmed or almost confirmed their line-ups. Mercedes has yet to announce its plans fully, but all signs point to retaining George Russell and promoting Andrea Kimi Antonelli — unless, of course, Verstappen becomes available, which remains Toto Wolff’s wildcard pursuit.
The only viable opening is with Cadillac, the newest entrant to Formula 1, which is set to debut in 2026 with the backing of General Motors. Although the American team is reportedly targeting a US driver — possibly an unlikely Logan Sargeant or Colton Herta — there are significant commercial benefits to hiring someone with Ricciardo’s global appeal.
From a marketing standpoint, Cadillac could do far worse. Ricciardo would bring brand equity, sponsor magnetism and an immediate media spotlight. While it remains speculative, the new team could find in Ricciardo the perfect blend of sporting experience and star power to anchor their launch season.
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The Verstappen wildcard: What if Max gets banned?
Although 2026 is still a long way off, a far more tantalising — and immediate — possibility is unfolding. Max Verstappen is on the verge of a race ban following his controversial incident with George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The four-time reigning world champion picked up three super licence penalty points after being found to have deliberately collided with the Mercedes driver during the race. This brings his total to 11 points, just one shy of the 12-point threshold that would trigger an automatic one-race suspension.
With trips to Montreal and Spielberg next on the calendar, Verstappen will need to tread carefully. Should he pick up even a single additional point, he could be forced to sit out a Grand Prix. This raises the question: who would step in?
In the most likely scenario, Red Bull would promote a Racing Bulls driver — probably Liam Lawson or Isack Hadjar — for a single weekend. In turn, Racing Bulls would fill the vacant seat with reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa or fast-track Arvid Lindblad, should the FIA grant him early super licence clearance.
But, from a fan’s perspective, the obvious choice is to bring back Ricciardo.
Fan support for Ricciardo remains overwhelming
In a recent RacingNews365 fan poll, Ricciardo was the runaway favourite to deputise for Verstappen in the event of a suspension. Over 57% of respondents voted for the Australian, with no other driver coming close. Second-place finisher Haddad trailed by more than 40 percentage points.
However, it’s unlikely that Red Bull would actually follow that route. However, the poll was a telling reminder that: Ricciardo may be absent from the grid, but he hasn’t been forgotten. In fact, he may be more popular than ever among fans precisely because absence makes the heart grow fonder.
And it’s not just nostalgia. There’s a genuine desire to see whether Ricciardo, now free from the relentless pressure of weekly competition, can find one last spark. A single-race stand-in scenario, especially at a high-profile event like the Austrian or British Grand Prix, would generate enormous interest. For Red Bull, it would be a PR masterstroke. For Ricciardo, it would be the ultimate lap of honour — or a shock re-entry point if he impressed.
The cult of Ricciardo: why F1 just can’t quit him
It’s rare in Formula 1 for a driver to become more popular after leaving the grid, but that’s exactly what has happened with Ricciardo. No matter how unceremoniously his final stint ended or how far he drifted from his peak form, his personality has created a legacy that few others have matched.
In a sport increasingly dominated by sponsor-polished media robots, Ricciardo’s authenticity stands out. Fans believe in him. They laugh with him. They see in him the last vestiges of Formula 1’s golden age of individualism.
Whether or not the driver in the PepsiCo promo was actually Daniel Ricciardo is now irrelevant. The spark has been lit. The conversation has begun again. And, whether by design or sheer coincidence, Formula 1 has been handed the perfect story: the exiled king who is still beloved and missed, and who can still move the needle with a single glance.
He may be out of the car, but make no mistake: Daniel Ricciardo is still very much on the grid.
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Much of the British Formula One media, including broadcaster Sky TV, have revealed their hands in the past days. Shrieking for a black flag and in the moment blaming Verstappen for his collision with Charles Leclerc and the initial contact with Russell, the Sky commentary booth at the Spanish Grand Prix was positively anti-Max Verstappen.
As it turned out the channel’s own F1 analysts, Anthony Davidson, demonstrated not long after that it was Leclerc who turned in on Verstappen whilst ‘trying to avoid the marbles’ as he explained in the cool down room. Further, whilst George had made his dive bomb move, was ahead at the apex and remained on track, he failed to kepis Mercedes under control, forcing Verstappen to taker to the escape route in turn one.
No matter, the damage was done. The weekend summary from Barcelona was once again about what a ‘bully’ Max is and how he must be stopped. ‘Highly dangerous’ was another ridiculous comment about his 30mph shunt with Russell in turn five, particularly given these cars are designed to take up to 50g of lateral force and crash tested at over 200mph…. READ MORE
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‘Second-place finisher Haddad trailed by more than 40 percentage points.”
Who is Haddad???
Ricciardo has indeed been clear that he’s done with racing in F1, which will be the case as long as he doesn’t say differently & to my knowledge, he hasn’t ever since he made the matter clear last November.
Therefore, speculating about him is pointless, especially regarding a one-off Red Bull Racing substitution, or otherwise, he would’ve made a full-time return to the team when he was still racing last season.
All cards were simply looked at regarding him, hence, he was let go.
He’d certainly be a decently marketable driver for Cadillac, but this is a mull point unless he changes his mind, which is unlikely, & Logan Sargeant isn’t an option in any case since he stopped active racing altogether & Crawford has a better chance to reach super license eligibility this year than Herta.
Iwasa doesn’t have a chance for a full-time drive anymore, given he’s Honda-affiliated.
However, he’d certainly be the one to substitute as the primary reserver driver for both RB-owned teams unless SF shares a weekend with F1, which isn’t the case for either the Canadian or Austrian GP.
Speculating about Lindblad is also pointless because since FIA didn’t make an exception for Antonelli, Lindblad is equally unlikely to meet the relevant criteria for receiving a full super license & therefore becoming eligible to ‘race’ in F1 at any point from the day of turning 17 until the day before turning 18.