Ricciardo: NASCAR plans now put on hold
Daniel Ricciardo says his dreams of racing in NASCAR will have to be put on hold now that his Formula 1 future with Red Bull has been secured.
Amid all the uncertainty about Red Bull's future in F1, Ricciardo was offered a fall back offer by Dale Earnhardt Jr. of a drive in NASCAR if he wanted it.
Ricciardo has previously said he would be up for it – especially if he was out of a drive in 2016 – but thinks that now his F1 future is settled, a switch to the United States will have to wait.
"If I am honest, I would love to take up his offer," said Ricciardo. "But next year is probably not so realistic.
"If it is something I did, I would want to do it properly – and that would need a lot of time in the car. It is a different beast so I would need to be there testing and stuff.
"When people talk about the programme, it would eat in to [F1]. I plan to have a long career in F1, but post-F1 that would be cool."
Ricciardo's fears about being without a drive have now gone, after his Red Bull team lodged its official entry to be on the F1 grid in 2016.
A deal to run some from of unbranded Renault engines is expected to be completed before the season-close Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Interview by Valentin Khorounzhiy
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