Daniel Ricciardo, the Formula One veteran, found himself more nervous in the passenger seat than behind the wheel, as Supercars star Broc Feeney prepared to launch a Ford Raptor T1+ over a jump for the first time. The setting was Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne, where Ford showcased a unique intersection of its racing worlds: the Ford Mustang Supercar and the Dakar-bred Raptor T1+.
The event brought together Ricciardo, now a global racing ambassador for Ford since 2025, and Feeney. Ricciardo lapped Calder’s historic circuit in the Mustang Supercar, while Feeney took the Raptor T1+ off-road, tackling jumps and water crossings. Ricciardo, a Raptor enthusiast since acquiring his first F-150 Raptor in 2017, highlighted the appeal of seeing the two racing disciplines converge.
“To many of us petrol heads, it’s Disneyland,” Ricciardo remarked, emphasizing the thrill of experiencing the racetrack, drag strip, and off-road course all in one place. He expressed his hope that this crossover event could be the beginning of more collaborations between different racing styles.
Feeney, on the other hand, admitted to idolizing Ricciardo during his Formula One career. Driving the Raptor T1+ was a novel experience for the Supercars driver, one that he enjoyed despite its lack of direct relevance to his usual racing.
“I’m used to sticking on the track, so going out on the dirt was a lot of fun. It reminded me of racing dirt bikes,” Feeney said. “I definitely picked up no skills that I’ll be taking into the weekend.”
Ben Nightingale, Product Communications and Motorsports Manager at Ford Australia, orchestrated the event.