Daniel Ricciardo to produce scripted Formula 1 TV series

Australian Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo is the latest driver to take on a side project in the media, reportedly becoming an executive producer on a new series.

Set to be loosely based on Formula 1, the scripted series has been commissioned by streaming service Hulu (owned by Disney) with Temple Hill (Twilight, The Fault in Our Stars, Maze Runner) acting as the production company.

Earlier this month, seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton announced his involvement in an Apple-backed film starring Brad Pitt, also centred around Formula 1.

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For Ricciardo, the 33-year-old West Australian and eight-time Grand Prix winner denies there's any rivalry between the competitors as to whose project will turn out best.

"If anyone is like thinking of it is as like competition or something, it’s not at all,” he said to media at this weekend's British Grand Prix, according to RaceFans.

"Obviously with what he [Hamilton] is doing, now the thing with Hulu with me and Netflix and all that and where the sport’s going, I think it’s actually cool that we’re using the pace of growth in Formula 1 to get into projects like this and push the sport out. So in a way, I see it as like we’re all supporting each other to support the sport.

"I teamed up with Temple Hill, they know what they’re doing in that field so I’ve got my full trust in them. I’m basically going to act as executive producer, but try to steer the ship a little.

"It is fiction, but I’ll try to give as much input that it stays on course and doesn’t go too far away where people are like ‘okay, this would never happen’. So I’m going to try and give the best advice I can when I can."

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In search of a writer and cast, Ricciardo has ruled out an appearance in his own series, with a Hitchcock-esque cameo off the cards.

"We’re at the point of now just finding a writer. I don’t want to put pressure on for the time thing, but hopefully by the end of the summer that’s all established. Then it should be casting.

"I’m not planning to be in it, so it’s literally me from the outside or from afar. But if they need a good-looking stud to cameo…"

The popularity of Netflix's Drive to Survive documentary series has increased international interest in F1, reviving the category which was long aimed away from the youth market.

This year's Australian Grand Prix posted record four-day crowd numbers, attributed to a three-year drought without the race, the "Netflix effect" and Ricciardo finding form last year with a win at the Italian Grand Prix for McLaren.