Daniel Ricciardo & His Journey Post-F1

Even though it’s been nearly two years since Daniel Ricciardo drove in Formula One, his love for racing has remained the same. 

(Image credit to ford racing)

After leaving the Formula One paddock for the last time on September 23rd, 2024, and officially announcing his retirement a year later, Daniel Ricciardo remains intertwined with motorsport. Following his retirement, it was also announced that he would become Ford Racing’s global ambassador with a primary focus on their Raptor brand & its lifestyle.

Even with all of this, many fans are still hopeful that “the Honey Badger” will return to the sport, however, Ricciardo stated in an interview with The Athletic that, “...the thought of going back into a chaotic sort of lifestyle terrifies me, to be honest.” He also commented that his purpose was “beyond just being a race car driver”, and how even though his leave from Formula One was a struggle, it felt like “the right time” for him.

In that same interview, Ricciardo briefly touched on the mental health side of being in the spotlight and what came after leaving the sport, sharing that the alone time he got afterwards was incredibly important to him. “You can’t really ever ask yourself ‘OK, where am I at with life? What am I chasing? Is that the right thing to be chasing? What do I want? What do I value?’ if you’re constantly surrounded by groups of people and everything’s, like, fun,” he told the interviewer. 

Daniel can now be spotted most places Ford Racing goes, sporting clothing from his brand Enchante at popups and races. 

Article Written by Lizzie K.