"This isn’t a personality contest": Former Red Bull driver on Daniel Ricciardo's value to F1

Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard claimed that former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo brings value to the F1 teams with his personality but believed that it was not a "personality contest". The Aussie driver was dropped by Racing Bulls at the end of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix and replaced with Liam Lawson, who eventually made it to Red Bull for 2025.

There were some talks that the eight-time F1 winner might get another shot at the Austrian team after the summer break last year, but the Milton Keynes-based outfit decided to keep on Sergio Perez for the entire 2024 season.

Although, Daniel Ricciardo had a solid season but he was out-qualified and outraced by his then-teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the 18 races and three Sprints. Speaking with Lucas Stewart, David Coulthard spoke about the former Red Bull driver's potential return to racing and said:

“I think that there’s no question he would be an asset for a Formula One team in terms of personality. But this isn’t a personality contest. It’s a stopwatch contest. You’ve got to acknowledge McLaren didn’t work out, and then the comeback with VCARB didn’t work out either.

"But he has been gifted a period of time in Formula One where the popularity and growth has been such that he’s a celebrity beyond being a driver. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t already worked out that working within the media space will keep that celebrity," he added.

There have been suggestions that Daniel Ricciardo could make his way into the US by trying his hand at IndyCar racing after declining a return to F1 with Cadillac in the 2026 season.

Former F1 driver gives his honest opinion on Daniel Ricciardo's IndyCar hopes

Former Red Bull F1 driver David Coulthard stated that he believed that it would be difficult for Daniel Ricciardo to learn and accept hitting the walls in the ovals.

As quoted by the aforementioned source, the former McLaren driver spoke on the Aussie's prospects of racing in IndyCar and said:

"You cannot race IndyCar and race the ovals without hitting the wall at some point. Daniel’s got a way out. I mean, he’s a wealthy boy. He’s got a big personality, and unless he truly believes he’s going to learn how to master the ovals it definitely is going to be a thought."

Daniel Ricciardo has not made any public appearances after his exit from Formula One at the end of the Singapore GP and has been away from social media as well.

At the pinnacle of motorsport, the Aussie driver raced teams such as Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and Toro Rosso. He has not expressed interest in continuing to race in other categories as of now.