Thursday at 10: 12 a. m. ET — Supercars supporters and Triple Eight stakeholders will see a deeper Ford Racing and Red Bull Ampol Racing alliance driven by Daniel Ricciardo’s planned involvement, with Ricciardo set to pair with Supercars championship leader Broc Feeney at a private lead-up event before the F1 Australian Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo’s role tightens the Ford–Red Bull connection at Triple Eight
Daniel Ricciardo, an eight-time grands prix winner, is positioned as a central figure in the crossover that centers on Triple Eight, and his status as a Ford Racing global ambassador — a role he took on last year — amplifies the commercial and promotional impact for the teams involved. That ambassador role marks a direct link between Ricciardo and Ford Racing within the crossover plans.
Triple Eight’s Albert Park activation includes a private drive with Broc Feeney
Triple Eight has scheduled a private event in the lead-up to this week’s F1 Australian Grand Prix where Ricciardo will drive with Broc Feeney; the arrangement adds a unique on-site activation for Albert Park tied to the teams’ partnership. Triple Eight has prepared a spare Gen3 Mustang for deployment at Albert Park — the same Gen3 Mustang it previously sent to the United States for wind tunnel testing.
Ford Racing and Red Bull Ampol Racing deepen ties after recent Gen3 exchanges
The alliance between Ford Racing and Red Bull Ampol Racing has substantially deepened following both teams’ moves to partner with Ford from 2026, and that relationship has already been showcased by Max Verstappen’s recent drive of a Red Bull-liveried Gen3 Mustang. Feeney and teammate Will Brown also were granted the opportunity to wheel a Red Bull F1 car in December at The Bend, underscoring the reciprocal access between the Supercars and F1 sides.
Still, Triple Eight’s operational steps are tangible: managing director Jamie Whincup carried out an official shake-down of the prepared Gen3 Mustang last week at Queensland Raceway, confirming the car is in the team’s immediate deployment plans for Melbourne. That activity follows Triple Eight commercial manager Tom Wilson’s earlier hint of a bold activation for the city after the Sydney 500.
Ricciardo’s prior experience behind Supercar machinery is part of the crossover narrative. He has previously sampled a Gen2 Supercar by driving Rick Kelly’s Nissan Altima in 2019 and drove Triple Eight’s ‘Sandman’ wagon about a decade ago, experiences that add to the promotional weight of his involvement in the Albert Park activation.
These moves coincide with Oscar Piastri’s expected drive of Cam Waters’ Monster Mustang today at Calder, adding further crossover activity between F1 drivers and Supercars entries in the same lead-up period to the Australian Grand Prix.
If Triple Eight formally confirms the crossover activation involving Daniel Ricciardo and Broc Feeney, more details are expected before the F1 Australian Grand Prix.
