Daniel Ricciardo has now made peace with the eventful end of his F1 career. The Australian ended up at Racing Bulls after a long career via Red Bull, Renault, and McLaren, before being promptly dismissed at the end of 2024. He now acknowledges that the moment of farewell was inevitable. Furthermore, he is grateful that Red Bull ultimately made the decision for him. Ending his F1 career himself would have been a lot more difficult, he admits.
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Ricciardo, who has now been enjoying his retirement for over a year, was recently a guest on Ford CEO Jim Farley’s podcast. The eight-time race winner has been appointed as an ambassador for Ford through his close ties with Red Bull. “In the end, I was fired,” Ricciardo recalls of his last race weekend in Singapore in 2024. After that, he was replaced by Liam Lawson. “That was the reality at the time. In two years, that was my second dismissal, and that took a lot of energy out of me,” the Australian acknowledged. Earlier, his contract at McLaren was terminated.
After his departure from Red Bull, Ricciardo joined Renault in 2019, before making the switch to McLaren in 2021. At both teams, he struggled with various problems; performances were often disappointing and confidence in the Australian, who had previously made a name for himself at Red Bull, came under pressure. After a final, inconsistent stint at Racing Bulls, Ricciardo admitted he was ready for retirement, although he couldn’t see it at the time. “I had put my heart and soul into it,” he looked back. “I was truly exhausted. In hindsight, I am grateful that Red Bull made the decision for me. I think it would have been difficult for me to say: ‘I’m quitting.’”
‘Had lost it’
“Somewhere I also knew it was over,” he admitted honestly. “I was no longer performing at my old level. For whatever reason: I had lost something, and it’s okay to admit that.” The Australian describes how difficult it is to pull the plug yourself, especially when the outside world continues to believe in a comeback. “There are people who love you and still tell you that you are great and can do it,” he said. “But as much as you want it, you also have to be honest with yourself and dare to close the door.”
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After Singapore, Ricciardo retired, whether forced or not, and was given the space to reflect on his career. “If I had made it to the end of the season, I think I would still have struggled with many of these thoughts,” he said. “I knew it was getting harder for me and that I really had to get everything out of myself to achieve a result I could be proud of. In my first year outside of Formula 1, I allowed myself the time to get everything in order. I have now come to peace with how it turned out.”
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