Daniel Ricciardo reveals what his daily life looks like almost two years after his last Grand Prix appearance. The GP Singapore 2024 was in hindsight the last race weekend in the top class for the Australian, who has since largely withdrawn from racing. However, Ricciardo can get used to the slower pace since he was forced to hang up his racing helmet: ‘Nowadays everything feels a bit more real’.
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Daniel Ricciardo drove his last Grand Prix so far in 2024. The Australian was employed by Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls before he was replaced by Liam Lawson after the GP Singapore. Ricciardo has not driven a single meter in a Formula 1 car since then, and nowadays enjoys a completely different routine now that his daily life is no longer accompanied by a packed Grand Prix calendar.
“I just enjoy the slower pace of life and the fact that I can finally stay in one place,” Ricciardo said on the Speed Street podcast about his new phase of life. “It’s literally the little things. Even when I’m at home, I can now really spend some time in Australia, with family, friends, that kind of stuff. Just things that you absolutely take for granted if you have them. And deep down I’ve always missed it. I’ve always missed being a kid, hanging out with friends and going to birthdays.”
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‘Everything feels more real now’
Earlier, Sergio Pérez and Oscar Piastri also spoke about the sacrifices non-European drivers have to make to make it to Formula 1. For Ricciardo, his visits home always felt ‘rushed’ during his time as a driver. “I came home for Christmas and I always rushed to do a hundred things at once because time is limited, but if you rush things, it doesn’t really feel real,” the Australian continued. “It felt a bit like a movie back then. Nowadays everything feels a bit more real.” Whether Ricciardo will never return to racing is still a question. The former F1 driver has hinted at a comeback before.
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