Daniel Ricciardo publishes open letter after Indy 500 trip

Former Red Bull and McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has published an open letter reflecting on his visit to last month’s Indy 500.

Ricciardo announced his retirement from motorsport in September 2025, 12 months after his final Formula 1 appearance with the Racing Bulls team.

Daniel Ricciardo writes open letter after Indy 500 visit

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The 36-year-old went on to secure an ambassadorial role with Ford, Red Bull’s F1 2026 engine partner, maintaining his ties to racing.

Enchanté, the lifestyle brand founded by Ricciardo, entered a collaboration with IndyCar veteran Conor Daly ahead of last month’s Indianapolis 500, which fell on the same day as F1’s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

The link up saw Ricciardo watch from trackside as Daly, his long-term friend, finished 12th for the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team.

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In an open letter published on the official website of Enchanté, Ricciardo reflected on his visit to the Indy 500.

And he insisted that he is “loving the change of pace” after swapping a racing cockpit for a chair in the Enchanté office.

Ricciardo wrote: “Since stepping away from the driver’s seat, I’ve enjoyed spending a lot more time in the Enchanté seat.

“Yep, I have a seat at the office. Most would think that’s a weird jump, going from a 200mph cockpit to a static office chair.

“But honestly? I’m loving the change of pace and getting to dive deeper into the brand we built out of a racing career, but is now outliving mine.

“It’s also a way to stay close to motorsport, just from a very different angle.

“Looking back on the weekend, it was such a cool experience.

“And let me remind you, I’ve been all over the world doing this my whole life.

“But something about Indy was really amazing. Every neighborhood I drove past had Indy 500 flags and checkered flags hanging off the front porch.

“It kinda feels like the local sporting team has made the final or something. Everyone just gets behind it.

“I asked Conor on race day what he does before the race to lock in and shut out the distractions and the noise.

“He said: ‘Man, this is the biggest and coolest thing I’ll ever do in my life, why would I not want to hear every noise and every cheer. I don’t want to be listening to music. I want to see, hear, and feel everything.’

“Was cool to see it from that side. And being on the grid, seeing tears in the drivers’ eyes after the prayer and the anthem, I was like dammit, let’s f**king goooo!!

“Haha, you just have to experience it. The race is something more than just a race. Hard to put into words.

“Conor and I have been friends for close to 15 years, going back to when we were both chasing the European racing dream from opposite sides of the world.

“So to be there, finally, as a fan watching him race in his hometown, was pretty special.

“It’s kinda fun when the pressure isn’t on you. Being a fan again brings me back to childhood feelings and memories. I like it.

“As for the collection, it started back in Vegas last year when Conor and I were both there for the GP.

“He’d been trying to get me to Indy for ages, but the F1 schedule and the chaos of that lifestyle always made it tough.

“So I committed then and there. Conor met the Enchanté team while we were all out for our pop-up, and everyone loved him as much as I do.

“Well, actually, they loved him more than they love me (insert sad face). Conor’s a character, a hell of a driver and a genuine good egg.

“Once the race was locked in, we started designing a collection built around him and the Indy 500.

“Seeing it out in the world and on the ground at Indy was the perfect way to close out the month.

“This was fun. Let’d [sic] do it again. Chat soon.

“Daniel.”

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