Daniel Ricciardo revels in ‘not as chaotic’ retirement after Formula 1

Ricciardo was dropped by VCARB after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, but he’s been making the most of time away from the world stage of auto racing.

Daniel Ricciardo “enjoying some life in the slow lane” since F1 exit

To say that Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 exit was ‘unceremonious’ might be an understatement. The driver who aspired to a World Championship at Red Bull Racing struggled through a challenging spell at first Renault and then McLaren before being picked back up by AlphaTauri midway through 2023.

Ricciardo contested two races before a crash at the Dutch Grand Prix injured his wrist and forced a withdrawal — but he was back again to round out the year beginning with Austin, and he signed back up with VCARB for 2024.

Sadly, Ricciardo struggled to score points, and he was replaced after Singapore by Kiwi driver Liam Lawson.

After that, Ricciardo withdrew somewhat from public life, sharing a handful of curated Instagram photos and making a few brand deals — but otherwise staying away from the Formula 1 paddock.

But now, he has spoken to Formula 1 to provide a fresh update on what life has looked like for a freshly retired Ricciardo.

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And in classic Ricciardo style, he states that life is “all good!”

“I’m just enjoying some life in the slow lane,” he told the website during a Daniel Ricciardo Series Ricciardo Kart event held at Buckmore Park last weekend.

“I mean, it sounds weird saying like retirement when I’m 35 years old, but retirement from at least the world I was living in. It’s cool.”

Today, in fact, is Ricciardo’s 36th birthday, and he’s finding ample meaning in his role as a mentor to aspiring racers.

He explained, “To be at the kart track… it’s my first time at a race track since I guess Singapore, so quite a few months now. But it’s cool to see the kids… this is why I started karting…

“I’ve had photos with groups of the kids and I can tell the friendships they have, and these friendships will last a lifetime a lot of them.

“My best friend to this day was a friend that I raced karts with. It’s nice to be back at like the grassroots of it and the most pure form of racing.”

Back in 2015, in honor of his go-kart roots, Ricciardo had a special kart chassis built. Four years later, he and Andy Cox made plans to use those bespoke karts in a championship known as the Daniel Ricciardo Series, which brands itself an “exclusive racing club” where drivers can either purchase karts or simply “Arrive N Drive.”

Taking time away from the hectic grind of Formula 1 has been good for the Australian driver.

“I think now that I’m a bit removed from it and life is not as chaotic, it’s nice to remember what it was like to be at the start of the career,” he told Formula 1. “We all have idols and heroes…”

Ricciardo himself began karting competitively when he was just nine years old before graduating into open-wheel racing in 2005.

He continued, “I would be very nervous meeting someone who I admired, so I understand sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming. But everyone seems pretty cool. I guess maybe I’m not the only driver they’ve met before – there’s a lot of F1 fans here!

“I think just to have someone that you want to try and obviously look up to and someone that can inspire you… if I’m able to sprinkle a tiny bit of inspiration or motivation today by being here and having a chat to a few kids, that’s awesome. That’s something I know I appreciated when I was eight, nine, 10 years old.”

Being at the kart track also allowed him to reflect on the great advice he received as a youngster, with “go and have fun” being the most meaningful words he could have heard.

“It wasn’t about trying to impress someone or be someone you’re not. ‘If you do this you’ll be on TV and make money,’ he continued.

“It kind of helped me also… like racing is scary, you know?”

He noted that he was a shy kid at school; honing his skills at the kart track without any major pressure was exactly the kind of thing he needed to build confidence in himself.

In fact, Ricciardo admitted that “karting was kind of secondary a lot of the time,” and that he found plenty of meaning in spending time with friends.

This may not have been the 2025 that Ricciardo was hoping for, but he’s certainly making the most of his time away from the Formula 1 circus.

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