As Motorsport.com España reports, Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on the reasons behind his decision to stay away from the Formula 1 paddock since his career in the championship ended following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, where the Racing Bulls driver was replaced by Liam Lawson after a tough season. Over the past two years, the Australian has kept away from the spotlight, spending more time at home and less time on planes, though he did become a global ambassador for Ford Racing.
Unlike other former F1 drivers who jumped straight into other categories or media roles—such as Robert Kubica, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2025 and 2026, or Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Heikki Kovalainen, Nico Rosberg, and Jacques Villeneuve becoming television commentators—Ricciardo has not yet gotten involved in anything of the sort. When asked on the Beyond The Grid podcast if we would see him back in the F1 paddock in any capacity, the winner of eight grands prix answered: "I'm not sure."
I just want to be able to go and see some friends, but I also appreciate that that's not the reality of an F1 paddock and how it works, and I understand it,
Reflecting on his initial reaction, Ricciardo explained: "If you asked me a year ago, I would have said: 'No, I just don't ever want to be around there anymore.' At the time, there was so much pain, so being around there caused too much pain. I was very negative about it." He added that he has spent the last two years confronting his ego and dealing with what felt like an ego death when things collapsed around him. Now, however, he appreciates the relationships he built and still speaks with many drivers, engineers, and mechanics. Even on the night of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, he stayed late at the circuit trying to say goodbye to as many people as he could, though he admits it was a very sombre way to part ways.
The prospect of returning too soon brings worries about media scrutiny and the burden of questions regarding what he is doing there. "I just want to be able to go and see some friends, but I also appreciate that that's not the reality of an F1 paddock and how it works, and I understand it," he said, noting that the thought of the F1 calendar itself terrifies him. He has even spoken with friends from other sports who returned as managers or team owners, only to find they still carried the heavy emotional weight of an athlete's problems.
While he loves talking to younger drivers and sharing his knowledge, he questions whether he wants to go through all those heavy emotions again. There is a refreshing appeal to doing something entirely different with life and living two lives, yet he also questions if keeping his 35 years of racing wisdom locked away in a box is a waste. "I don't know. I think that's why I haven't really jumped into anything, because I'm trying to make sure that whatever I do is the right thing," Ricciardo stated.
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