Toyota boss wants Ricciardo to race V8 Supercars at Bathurst – report

12/05/2024 03:00 PM

Daniel Ricciardo is reportedly being targeted to race V8 Supercars by the world's largest car maker, Toyota, when it begins racing the Toyota Supra in the category in 2026.

Reported by Race.news, the orders are from the very top, with Akio Toyoda – chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation – said to have offered "whatever it takes" to coax the eight-time Grand Prix winner to race for the brand.

"I've been told that Toyoda-san can see his [Ricciardo's] value, not just as a driver, but as someone who can drag in the fans in huge numbers because of his natural charisma," an unnamed source told Race.news.

Ricciardo – who coincidentally owns a Toyota HiLux – drove his last Formula One (F1) race at the Singapore Grand Prix in September but remains highly marketable as one of the sport's most popular drivers.

The 35-year-old earned a significant sum of money during his F1 career and is not short of options for his next career move should he continue to race.

In September – within days of Ricciardo's last F1 race – Toyota announced it would race in V8 Supercars from 2026 under the Gazoo Racing Australia banner, with the Walkinshaw Andretti United team swapping Ford Mustangs for a pair of Toyota Supras.

Toyota is reportedly now looking for the West Australian to be the face of its Gazoo Racing brand in V8 Supercars, and potentially in the United States in NASCAR and sports cars – where Toyota also competes.

"He [Toyoda] can't see any downside with having him as the face of Gazoo Racing which really is his pet project," the source added.

"And from what has been told to me, it's almost a blank cheque operation to get him to say yes."

Ricciardo has said he'd happily sample Mount Panorama at Bathurst – where the biggest V8 Supercars race of the year is held – but has not publicly hinted at wanting a full-time drive in the sport, or even a cameo.

"If a V8 [Supercars] team said, 'Hey, do you want to do a few laps around Bathurst, no pressure, just to experience it?’, then I’ll definitely take that up," he said in an interview with Tourism WA earlier in 2024.

Similarly, V8 Supercars CEO Shane Howard said in October 2024 the category would welcome the Australian, who would be a boon for the sport, but the timing to reach out to Ricciardo had to be right.

"Would we like to see Daniel Ricciardo in a Supercar? 100 per cent." Howard said on Supercars.com.au.

"Imagine him racing at Bathurst, wow. That would be very cool indeed … It would be absolutely massive. He is such an incredible driver and such an incredible personality and people just absolutely love him."

The post Toyota boss wants Ricciardo to race V8 Supercars at Bathurst – report appeared first on Drive.