Daniel Ricciardo goes flying in raptor rally madness

The former Formula 1 driver took part in a rally experience behind the wheel of the Ford F-150 Raptor. Ricciardo, who has signed on as an ambassador for the American manufacturer, headed to Lake Havasu in Arizona to participate in the Raptor Rally.

The former Red Bull Racing driver completed several sand challenges, including going airborne with the rally car, among many other endeavours.

Following the conclusion of what appeared to be a fun outing for the Australian, Ricciardo shared his thoughts on the outing with Ford at the Arizona event.

“It was pretty awesome. I jumped my truck, and then I got driven by some pros, some off-roader pros, with Lauren and Mitch. I was pretty scared, but it was really fun. I hadn't done anything like that before,” Ricciardo began.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner continued by highlighting how special the Raptor car is and the strong sense of community surrounding the event.

“We finished the day with everyone from the rally, and I think what the community's built is really awesome. I think what’s made Raptor special is the people, and days like this, it’s really nice to be a part of that,” he concluded.

Ricciardo called time on racing after he was axed by the Racing Bulls team following the conclusion of the Singapore Grand Prix. The ‘Honey Badger’, as he is fondly called, has since opted against making a return to F1 after his exit.

Earlier, Max Verstappen announced he will be racing with the number 3 for the 2026 season. The number chosen by the Dutch driver was the same as that used by Ricciardo during his F1 career.

Verstappen had to relinquish the number 1 after he missed out on a fifth consecutive Drivers’ Championship title.

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