believes ought to develop into an pundit ought to the Australian need to preserve his “superstar” standing throughout the sport.
Ricciardo was dropped by RB, ’s sister crew, with six races left of final season after a . Liam Lawson changed him and to develop into Max Verstappen’s Crimson Bull teammate for 2025.
Ricciardo was additionally axed by McLaren in 2022 and, at 35, the star’s time in F1 seems to be to have come to an finish and he has not confirmed his subsequent steps in motorsport.
However Coulthard, the previous Crimson Bull driver with 13 grand prix wins to his identify, insists Ricciardo ought to flip to working within the F1 media sphere if he’s on the lookout for a future away from competing.
“If he has nonetheless acquired racing on his thoughts, then he is acquired to discover a race championship, however there isn’t any query he could be an asset for a Components 1 crew by way of character,” Coulthard instructed the Driver podcast.
“However this is not a character contest, it’s a stopwatch contest, and you have to acknowledge that McLaren did not work out after which the comeback with VCARB [RB] did not work out both.
“However he has been gifted a time frame in F1 the place the recognition and progress has been such that he is a star past being a driver.
“I would not be stunned if he has already labored out that working throughout the media house will assist maintain that superstar.
“What I’d advocate is that he does not assume he can kind of take a 12 months out and nonetheless be as fascinating.”
Ricciardo’s exit from F1 after final 12 months’s Singapore GP is prone to characteristic within the , which is launched on 7 March.
RB have since confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda and F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar shall be their drivers for the brand new season.
The 2025 F1 season, which begins in Ricciardo’s residence nation of Australia, begins on 16 March.
