Daniel Ricciardo has been away from F1 since the 2024 United States GP, when he was unceremonioulsy dropped from Racing Bulls and replaced by Liam Lawson.
Since then, Ricciardo has been mostly away from the spotlight, living a quiet life in Australia and the US with his family and friends, which he believes makes his post-F1 life feel “more real” than when he only had a few days per year to spend with his loved ones due to his racing commitments.
“Enjoying the slower pace” – how Ricciardo’s life changed after F1 retirement
Speaking on former IndyCar driver Conor Daly’s ‘Speed Street Podcast’, the Australian opened up on how he’s enjoying the “slower pace” of life after his retirement from F1, and the benefits of being able to live his life in a way he was mostly deprived of due to racing:
“I’m enjoying just the slower pace of life and ultimately being able to be in one place.
“Literally just the little things. Even back home, I can actually spend a real bit of time in Australia, spend it with family, friends, all that. Just things that if you have it, you definitely take it for granted. And deep down, I always missed it. I always missed being a kid, hanging out with friends and going to birthdays.“
Having proper time for friends and family makes it “feel more real”
Daniel Ricciardo reminisced that whilst he was racing in F1, he couldn’t dedicate enough time for his loved ones, and ended up rushing all things into a single event, which wouldn’t always “feel real” due to the rushed nature:
“I would get home over Christmas, and I would always rush and try and do 100 things at once because time is limited, but when you’re rushing things, it doesn’t really feel real.
“It’s kind of like a bit of a movie. So now life feels a little more real.”
Ricciardo’s other commitments after F1
Ricciardo hasn’t fully backed away from racing, as the eight-time F1 grand prix winner still acts as an ambassador for Ford Racing, driving various cars from the American manufacturer in promotional stunts, as well as participating in Red Bull Racing’s 2026 F1 season launch at Detroit in January, alongside the likes of Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
F1 returns to the Canadian GP next week, where Daniel Ricciardo scored his maiden grand prix win in 2014, after a tense battle with Nico Rosberg’s ailing Mercedes.
