Daniel Ricciardo reflects on emotional 2024 Formula 1 exit.
Daniel Ricciardo has opened up on how he moved from painful disappointment to genuine pride after his sudden Formula 1 exit in 2024. Appearing on the latest episode of the official F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, the eight-time Grand Prix winner explained how distance from the sport has changed the way he sees his career. Formula1.com reports that the Australian first battled feelings of failure and humiliation, but today he looks back on his time in F1 with far more positivity than he did a couple of years ago.
Ricciardo Looks Back on His Abrupt F1 Retirement
Ricciardo made his Formula 1 debut midway through 2011 with HRT and remained a key figure on the grid until 2024. In that time he claimed eight Grand Prix victories and 24 further podium finishes, building a reputation for aggressive late braking and an infectious personality. He is perhaps best remembered for his years at Red Bull between 2014 and 2018.
His story ended abruptly, however. He left the sport immediately after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix following a frustrating season with Racing Bulls. He finished that race in 18th place, but he set the fastest lap and was voted Driver of the Day by fans. Speaking afterwards, he hinted it could be his last race and said he felt at peace with it. Racing Bulls then replaced him with Liam Lawson, and Ricciardo chose not to attempt another comeback. He has since taken on an ambassador role with Ford.
Hiding the Pain Behind a Public Smile
Ricciardo explained that years of racing build a ruthlessness that also turns inward. He said a driver can become very harsh on himself and expect a great deal from himself. In his own eyes, he had been failing and no longer performing at the level he needed, and he had not even been able to finish out the season. That, he said, created a sense of humiliation, a feeling that he could no longer do what he once could.
The months that followed were difficult. Ricciardo now understands that his behaviour during that period was a way of hiding from the humiliation. People saw him out in public enjoying himself, but he says that image masked a lot of pain and sadness. He recalled that he had once been a kid hoping to fight for a world title and win races, and that this dream suddenly felt gone.
Why Ricciardo Is Now Grateful for the Decision to Replace Him
Despite the hurt, Ricciardo admitted that he now appreciates Racing Bulls’ choice to put Lawson in his seat, because it opened the door to a life outside Formula 1. He said everyone’s path is different, and that with hindsight his biggest fear was that the team would simply keep extending his contract. Would he have kept going, he wondered, and would he ever have switched the tap off?
He revealed that he had wanted to stop on several occasions. After the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, he told his team from his apartment that he was done. He said Silverstone in 2015 was another moment when he wanted to get away from it all. Yet he questioned whether he would truly have walked away, noting that the people around him kept telling him he could still do it, and that it is easy to start believing those voices without having much room for your own thoughts.
Ricciardo said he might still be racing today if things had continued, and he described that as a scary thought. He still does not like how it ended, but part of him is grateful that the team made the call, because he would not want to be racing now.
Looking Back on a Career to Be Proud Of
With the benefit of hindsight, Ricciardo says he can now reflect on his career, which included spectacular wins at Monaco and Monza, with pride. He summed it up simply: “I am definitely proud.” He also explained that drivers rarely allow themselves to reflect while they are racing, because looking back too much can almost spook them. Staying focused on the next task always came first.
He added that it can be overwhelming to think about what he achieved. Ricciardo stressed that this is not imposter syndrome, as he believes he was good enough to be in Formula 1. Instead, he asked himself how it all happened and how he came to be one of only 20 drivers on the grid. Now that he feels in a balanced place, he described himself as extremely proud and, in many ways, shocked that it all happened.
His numbers back up that sense of achievement. Across 257 starts, Ricciardo took three pole positions, eight victories and 32 podium finishes, scoring more than 1,300 points.
What Comes Next for Ricciardo
Ricciardo has not ruled out a return to racing in another series, but he is not certain about it yet. For now, his message is one of acceptance. The pain of 2024 was real, and he does not pretend otherwise, yet time has allowed him to replace humiliation with perspective and pride.
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The full conversation is available on the latest episode of F1 Beyond The Grid, which can be listened to on podcast platforms or watched on the F1 YouTube channel. For a driver whose smile became one of the sport’s trademarks, it is a candid reminder that even the most cheerful personalities in the paddock carry private struggles, and that perspective can arrive with time.
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