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Months after his final appearance at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo has offered insight into his life away from Formula 1, revealing that he’s embracing a slower pace and rediscovering his love for the sport through grassroots karting.
The 36-year-old Australian – an eight-time Grand Prix winner – faced a challenging end to his F1 career. After parting ways with McLaren at the close of 2022, Ricciardo returned to Red Bull in a reserve role before being called up mid-2023 to replace Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, now known as Racing Bulls. However, his comeback didn’t reignite the old magic, and following a tough 2024 campaign, he was replaced by Liam Lawson after Singapore.
Now months removed from the F1 spotlight, Ricciardo reflected positively on his current path. “All good! I’m just enjoying some life in the slow lane,” he said at Buckmore Park in the UK, where he was supporting young drivers competing in the Daniel Ricciardo Series. “It sounds weird saying retirement when I’m 35, but retirement from at least the world I was living in. It’s cool.”
His visit to the kart track was his first time back at a racing venue since Singapore. The experience took him back to his roots. “This is why I started karting,” Ricciardo said, reminiscing about the friendships and freedom that defined his early racing days. “My best friend to this day was a friend that I raced karts with.”
Engaging with aspiring young drivers, Ricciardo was reminded of his own idols growing up. “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… I would be very nervous meeting someone I admired,” he said, adding that he hopes his presence inspires the next generation.
Asked what advice he’d pass on to young racers, Ricciardo kept it simple: “Go and have fun.” That philosophy, he said, helped him build confidence not just on the track, but off it as well. “It wasn’t about trying to impress someone or be someone you’re not,” he explained.
Ricciardo’s time away from the high-stakes world of F1 has brought clarity and perspective, reaffirming his passion for motorsport in its most authentic form – surrounded by young talent, scooters, and karts at the grassroots level.
