V8 Supercars offer Perth Formula 1 ace Daniel Ricciardo open invite if he decides to walk away from McLaren

Supercars will roll out the red carpet for Daniel Ricciardo should he choose to walk away from Formula One, with the Australian based sport offering the McLaren driver a future as a V8 star. With Ricciardo facing an uncertain future in F1 after another top-ten fail at the Spanish GP, Supercars CEO Shane Howard issued an open-ended invite for the Perth raised star to return to Australia and become a V8 driver. While no team could match the $15m he reportedly earns a year in Formula One, Ricciardo could still earn in excess of $2m a season as a Supercars driver. “If the opportunity presented itself to have Daniel on the grid as a wildcard or otherwise, we would absolutely want it to happen,” Howard said. “He is one of the best drivers and most recognised athletes in the world; it would be fantastic to have him race a Supercar at some point. “We haven’t spoken to Daniel or his management, and it would be in the hands of teams to align any opportunities that may present themselves in the future, but for sure, it is something we would support.” Ricciardo’s future as an F1 driver has become clouded, with the Aussie ace scoring just one top 10 finish this season. Despite qualifying ninth fastest for the Spanish Grand Prix, Ricciardo quickly found himself outside of the top 10 and struggling to make up ground. He finished the race in 12th spot, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen surviving an early detour into the gravel to take a comfortable victory after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had to retire with power loss.