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- Daniel Ricciardo teases Ford partnership with cryptic Bronco Raptor Instagram post.
- CEO Jim Farley envisions Ford as the “Porsche of off-road.”
- Rumours swirl about a $300,000 hybrid-powered off-road supercar project.
- Ricciardo’s passion for Ford Raptors strengthens speculation around potential collaboration.
Daniel Ricciardo, a Ford Bronco Raptor, Red Bull Racing, Ford CEO Jim Farley, Formula 1—the motorsport stars are aligning, and that’s before we even discuss Danny Ric’s cryptic Instagram post.
The now-retired Formula 1 driver posted a photo of himself standing next to a Ford Racing logo affixed to the front of a Bronco Raptor, promptly sending the internet into a frenzy. However, while most were focused on the clear connection between Ford and Red Bull Racing—having partnered to develop the next-generation Formula 1 power unit for 2026—the Ford Bronco Raptor that Daniel Ricciardo is posing with has our attention.
Previously, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated that he wanted Ford to become the “Porsche of off-road,” and Daniel Ricciardo could be the perfect person to do it. “There’s no Porsche of off-road, and I’m shocked that people don’t think about that, and I’m very interested in that,” said Farley on Bloomberg’s Hot Pursuit! Podcast a few weeks ago before mulling the idea of a $300,000 off-road supercar.
“I feel like the supercar market is completely overserved,” continued Farley. “People are just buying these cars to invest as if it’s a stock.”
“I’m more excited about what we’re working (on) off-road than I am on-road,” he commented before explaining that he’d like any project to be powered by a 1,000 HP (746kW) hybrid powertrain with customisable driver settings, full height-adjustable suspension height and damping, and other racing specifications that would lend it towards a Baja-style racing truck than a low-speed rock crawler.
When the podcast hosts asked whether the future model could adapt to the existing Mustang or Bronco, Farley stayed silent but shook his head at the mention.
While no concrete announcements were made on the podcast either, Farley closed the conversation by saying, “I’m thinking about it, and I’m thinking really deeply about it, and usually that turns into something. That’s all I can say.”
The idea of a Ford off-road supercar is one thing, but Daniel Ricciardo fuelled these conversations overnight when he hinted at his involvement with this rumoured project, posing next to a Ford Bronco Raptor on his social media with a caption saying, “More around the corner…”.
Ricciardo has previously expressed his love for Ford’s Raptor off-road sub-division. Speaking to The Drive in 2023, he said that it’s one of the coolest cars he’s ever owned. “From a vehicle point of view, the Raptor is maybe the coolest car I’ve ever owned,” he said.
“I actually bought the Raptor before I bought a house (in California). Since I was young, I loved them. We couldn’t get the Raptors in Australia, and me and my friends just love utes and trucks and hoped one day we could get one. When I started spending more time in California, I was like, I need to buy one. I actually kept it at my mate’s house for like a year.”
It certainly seems like Danny Ric is on board. Having proven that they can conquer the toughest road course in the world, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with the Mustang GTD, the brand can shift focus elsewhere, particularly into a space that has only briefly been occupied by the Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. Now, we wait and see.
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