Ricciardo ‘grateful’ to Red Bull for calling the end to his F1 career

There was a time when former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo thrived on instinct, late braking, and an unshakable belief that his place in Formula 1 was secure.

But looking back now, with the noise of the paddock behind him, the Australian’s perspective has softened into something more reflective – and unexpectedly grateful.

In a candid conversation with Ford CEO Jim Farley, Ricciardo revisited the closing chapters of a 14-season career that brought eight Grand Prix wins, but also a slow, emotionally draining decline that ultimately forced him to confront an uncomfortable truth: the end had to come, even if he wasn’t ready to choose it himself.

A slow realisation

Ricciardo’s journey through Formula 1 began under the wing of Red Bull, and for years, it defined him. Yet by the time his stint with McLaren began to unravel in 2022, the first cracks in his certainty had already appeared.

"I definitely had to try and understand a lot [in] the last 12 months about the career coming to an end, and its timing, because you're not really going to get it back once it's gone for the most part," he explained.

"So 2022, I struggled a lot in my second year at McLaren. They let me go. So then 2023, I started without a seat and I was like, 'Is this maybe it? Do I just call it now?' But I knew there was still some burning desire in me.

"And that's where I really needed to try and look at myself in the mirror, and was like, 'OK, forget what the people say and what they want, what do you want?'"

Even as doubts crept in, Ricciardo kept the decision close, resisting outside influence as he tried to gauge whether the fire still burned.

When asked if that was a personal moment or if he talked about it within his close circles, he added:

“I tried to make it as personal as possible. There are still opinions, even if it's your parents or whatever, but ultimately, I did my best to make sure that there was still that fire inside my gut.""

Signs he couldn’t ignore

A mid-season return in 2023 with Racing Bulls – the rebranded AlphaTauri – offered a second chance, but it quickly became another test of resilience. A freak injury sustained in practice at the Dutch Grand Prix only deepened the introspection.

"So I got back into the seat halfway through the season. I got a drive, second or third race in, I broke my hand, and it was such a nothing accident, but I missed however many races,” he explained.

"So that happened, and I was like, 'Well, I've never really hurt myself racing all these years, and I have a silly crash, is this now a bit of a sign? Should I just quit while I'm ahead nearly?'

"And I was like, 'No, there's still unfinished business,' and I pushed through it."

He did push through – one more season, one more attempt to rediscover himself. But by the time his journey came to an end after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, the emotional toll had already accumulated.

"I lasted another year in F1, and then ultimately got let go,” he said. “That was the reality at the time. But I think once that happened, I'd been let go twice in the last two years.

“It had also taken a lot out of me. I'd put a lot of my soul into it, and I did feel pretty exhausted by it. In reflection, I was grateful that they made the decision for me."

• Read also: Ricciardo more than happy to ‘pass on’ iconic #3 to Verstappen

For a driver once defined by his relentless optimism, the idea of being thankful for an exit might seem contradictory. Yet in hindsight, Ricciardo’s words carry a quiet acceptance – even relief.

The sport that had given him everything had also demanded everything in return. And when the final call came, not from within but from the team structures he had long been part of, it brought a clarity he had struggled to find alone.

In the end, Ricciardo didn’t walk away on his own terms. But perhaps, as he now admits, that was exactly what he needed.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook