By James Broughton, August 12, 2025
Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career is over, and it looks like he will never make a return—no matter how much he might want it. Formula 1 is a fast-moving and brutal business, where underperformance is often met with a swift contract termination. That was the fate of Ricciardo, who, from an outsider’s perspective, struggled to adapt to F1’s return to the ground-effect era. His AlphaTauri contract was terminated at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix after a string of lacklustre performances.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what happened to the magic that once saw Ricciardo collect 3 pole positions, 32 podiums, and 8 wins from 257 race starts. However, it’s fair to say his performances had been on a downward trajectory for at least two years before his contract ended.
Ultimately, F1 made Ricciardo a multi-millionaire many times over—but like all who compete in the sport, his motivation was never fuelled by money alone. The sting of rejection has since given way to reflection, with Ricciardo opening up about life after F1 in a recent interview with an Australian media outlet.
“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.”
“Well, I haven’t been shaving my face. The beard is my comfort right now.”
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.”
“Sometimes I think about things like winning Monaco and think, ‘Did that actually happen?!’.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”