Singtel Optus has thrown its support behind Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, renewing its commercial agreement for another two years.
A new deal was signed by Optus amid reports McLaren would terminate Ricciardo’s contract a year early and replace him with young Australian driver Oscar Piastri. Ricciardo is one of the F1’s most popular figures and garnered a large group of fans after the release of Netflix’s documentary series, Drive to Survive. He one of the top 10 Australian influencers on LinkedIn.
Daniel Ricciardo will continue to work with Optus regardless of his future in the F1.Credit:Getty Images
The drama surrounding Ricciardo’s current contract has not impacted his financial arrangement with Optus, which sees him act as an ambassador for the telco brand.
“Optus believes that great things can happen in times of adversity and from having the courage and commitment to say ‘yes’,” Optus’ chief marketing officer, Melissa Hopkins, said. “We look forward to Daniel showing the global Formula 1 community exactly what has made our favourite honey badger so formidable.”
Optus’ logo features on Ricciardo’s helmet. Credit:AP Photo
Ricciardo first signed a commercial deal with Optus in 2020 as its chief of optimism, an ambassador-style role that involves marketing the Optus brand and attending in-house events. Optus’ ‘Yes’ logo also appears on Ricciardo’s Formula 1 helmet.
The telco is one of several sponsors of Ricciardo, who has also worked with carsales.com, Go Pro, Puma and Blue Coast. He was estimated to be worth about $50 million in 2021, with an annual salary of $15 million. But like any sports star, the lucrative agreements Ricciardo has in place are linked to his success and time in the spotlight.
Ricciardo did not comment directly on the ongoing reports about his contract in a video he filmed over the weekend about his renewed partnership. “I look forward to …spreading optimism to everyone, finding positivity in things and moving forward together,” he said in a video.
Ricciardo has a McLaren contract for next season as part of the original three-year deal that he signed in early 2020, while he was still at Renault.
A settlement and a substantial pay-off are required for him to walk away at the end of this season.
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