Fans convinced Daniel Ricciardo is set to return as beloved Aussie driver appears to star in latest advertisement
F1 fans believe a shock return to the grid for beloved driver Daniel Ricciardo is becoming more and more likely after the Aussie appeared to feature in a new advertising campaign for the sport.
The Australian driver seemingly appeared in the sport's announcement of a multi-year agreement with PepsiCo on Tuesday night, with the caption 'Get Race Ready'.
While F1 fans are convinced it was the Aussie driver, due to his iconic nose and face shape, news.com.au has its reservations due to the deliberately dark red and black lighting used.
The F1-fan favourite last lined up on the grid at the 2024 Singapore GP, before being unceremoniously dropped from the team in favour of youngster Liam Lawson.
You can watch the announcement video in the player below
However, in March, it was confirmed that the grid would be welcoming an 11th team, Cadillac, which was reportedly looking for experienced drivers.
It sparked rumours that Ricciardo could be about to return, despite the 35-year-old stating he is 'done' with the sport.
And the rumours have only been fuelled by the latest ad, with fans immediately feeling it may hint that the Aussie is set for a return.
'Welcome back, Daniel Ricciardo,' one fan wrote.
'I'm crazy bc just with the nose I know that's Daniel Ricciardo,' another fan commented on the video.
'If this is Daniel Ricciardo announcing a comeback on my birthday I'll officially switch from Coke to Pepsi,' a third said.
A fourth added: 'Daniel Ricciardo is like that guy in Days of our Lives that just keeps coming back after dying.'
However, according to popular paddock photographer Kym Illman, Ricciardo 'won't be back' again.
When asked by GPFans whether fans could expect to see Ricciardo back on the grid next year, Illman said in no uncertain terms: 'No. Not going to fit, absolutely not.'
'I know stuff, he won't be back. I think others have reported it, but I feel confident he won't be back.'
Daniel Ricciardo's 'vulnerable' admission
Earlier this year Ricciardo gave an emotional farewell to fans in the seventh season of Netflix's Drive to Survive.
One of the original breakout stars of the documentary, he famously called Netflix a 'bunch of c****' in the first season and endeared himself to a whole new legion of F1 fans, particularly in America.
Wearing casual clothes and sipping a glass of whisky, Ricciardo addressed his recent F1 axing saying: 'This is it.
'I never thought I would have this career. I never thought I'd be here, you know? That's the truth.
'Yes, my dream was to be world champion and there were years along the way where I genuinely felt like it was gonna happen.
'I got close, that's OK. If I were a world champion sitting here today, would it change how I feel or how I view myself, or anything like that? I don't think so.
'Maybe my ego would be big. We don't want that. I have no regrets.'
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