- Pair first partnered in 2020
- Reports emerged last week that Ricciardo will lose McLaren seat to fellow Australian Oscar Piastri next season
Australian telecommunications company Singtel Optus has renewed its commercial agreement with Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo for another two years.
Ricciardo remains one of the global motorsport series’ most popular drivers, especially since the release of Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries, and he is one of the top ten Australian influencers on LinkedIn.
The 33-year-old first signed a contract with Optus in 2020, taking on the ambassadorial role of ‘chief of optimism’. Since then, Optus’ ‘Yes’ logo has appeared on Ricciardo’s racing helmet.
“Optus believes that great things can happen in times of adversity and from having the courage and commitment to say ‘yes’,” said Melissa Hopkins, Optus’ chief marketing officer.
“We look forward to Daniel showing the global Formula One community exactly what has made our favourite honey badger [Ricciardo’s nickname] so formidable.”
The extension will offer a shred of comfort for Ricciardo as speculation over his Formula One future continues. Last week, reports emerged that the Western Australian’s contract at McLaren would be terminated at the end of this season in order for the team to replace him with fellow countryman Oscar Piastri. This would potentially leave Ricciardo without a drive for 2023.