Daniel Ricciardo says Formula One needs to keep entertaining fans, flags race in Las Vegas

AS the Formula One season prepares to kick off in Melbourne next week, Rebecca Williams spoke to Daniel Ricciardo who says the sport’s new owners need to bring the fun.

MONTMELO, SPAIN — MARCH 09: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Red Bull Racing Red Bull-TAG Heuer RB13 TAG Heuer on track during day three of Formula One winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on March 9, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Charles Coates/Getty Images)

AUSSIE ace Daniel Ricciardo wants Formula One to light up the Las Vegas strip.

As the Formula One season prepares to kick off in Melbourne next week, Ricciardo has urged the sport’s new owners to take racing to more “cool locations” — and the American tourist mecca is at the top of his list.

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Formula One is now under new management after American communications group Liberty Media took over ownership of the sport, ending Bernie Ecclestone’s long reign.

Asked what his advice for Formula One’s new owners would be, Ricciardo said the sport needed to look at different ways to make the sport entertaining to fans.

Daniel Ricciardo says F1 needs to do what it can to attract fans. Picture: Getty Images

“Have fun — embrace this unique sport that we’ve got,’’ Ricciardo said.

“Bernie was great and now we’ve got a completely new approach and mindset.

“I’m excited for it, I think do what you can to keep drawing in the fans and make it entertaining and promote the excitement of the sport, promote that it is the fastest show in the world.

“Let’s keep going to cool locations as well. If you want to do a race in (Las) Vegas, be my guest.’’

The United States already has one race on the Formula One calendar, with the Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on October 22.

Lewis Hamilton leads a Red Bull in last year’s US Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

This year’s Formula One season doesn’t feature any new races, with the only change to the 2017 schedule being the absence of the German Grand Prix.

While it might be a pipedream, the bright lights of Vegas would provide a spectacular backdrop for the Formula One show.

But Ricciardo’s immediate focus is the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park next week where the Perth driver will be striving to improve on his fourth place from last year.

After winding up pre-season testing in Barcelona last week, Ricciardo said he could not wait to race the new “aggressive-looking” cars in front of his home crowd after the sport’s rules revamp.

“I’m just excited to go racing ... and to go to Australia,’’ Ricciardo said.

“Visually, I think the cars look sexy, they are wide, low and they look more aggressive. So I think fans, especially more old school fans, it will resonate a lot better with them.’’