Daniel Ricciardo has explained how he is going through “a bit of self-exploration” after leaving the world of Formula 1, with the Australian “trying to figure out who I am” beyond racing.
Ricciardo dropped off the F1 grid following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, leaving him with a career total of 257 starts, three pole positions, eight victories, 32 podium finishes and more than 1,300 points.
Since then, Ricciardo has kept a relatively low profile, only occasionally making appearances at rounds of his own karting series and sharing few reflections on an F1 stint that featured time at HRT, Toro Rosso (later AlphaTauri/RB), Red Bull, Renault and McLaren.
Speaking in a rare post-F1 interview at Ray White’s Connect conference in his native Australia, Ricciardo shared more on what he has been doing since walking away from the sport just under a year ago – and some of the realisations that have followed.
“Well, I haven’t been shaving my face,” Ricciardo, who recently turned 36, initially joked. “The beard is my comfort right now.”
On a more serious note, he continued: “This year has been a bit of self-exploration. I lived this crazy high-speed life for so long and this year I’ve sat into a little bit of stillness.
“I’ve had a lot of time. I’ve done some hiking. I was in Alaska a few weeks ago and didn’t get mauled by a grizzly [bear], which was a bonus.
“I’ve been trying to figure out who I am other than this race car driver. I’ve come to appreciate the little thing[s] more and the meaning of the importance of family and friends.
“I’ve always been driven and that sometimes leads you to being selfish, so I’m trying to learn to be a bit more selfless and become a better listener.”
With that extra time to reflect, Ricciardo took it all the way back to his very first steps in motorsport – and admitted that he still finds it difficult to believe some of the successes he went on to experience.
“[My] childhood was great,” the Perth-born racer said. “I was always driven to do something that scared me a bit.
“The reason I got into racing was because no one was really doing it. It was my chance to do something a little bit cooler than everyone else.
“I was just showing off, but showing off has got me to a really good place in life.”
He added: “Sometimes I think about things like winning Monaco and think, ‘Did that actually happen?!’.
“I always loved racing, but I never thought I’d have the career I had and make it to F1.
“You just have to take everything one step at a time. If you look too far ahead, everything looks a bit daunting.”
