Daniel Ricciardo admits Red Bull F1 exit was a blessing despite humiliation

Daniel Ricciardo says in hindsight it was a good thing that Red Bull pulled the “trigger” on his F1 exit, as he may not have been able to do it himself.

“That, though, didn’t prevent him from experiencing feelings of humiliation and failure after his sacking following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo opens up on Red Bull exit and feelings of failure

Having brought Ricciardo back into the fold after two trying seasons with McLaren, Red Bull put Ricciardo in the AlphaTauri race seat mid-2023 as a replacement for the underperforming Nyck de Vries.

The intention was for Ricciardo to rediscover his mojo and challenge Sergio Perez for the seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

That fizzled out the following season when Ricciardo managed just three top-ten results in 18 starts.

Red Bull made the call at the Singapore Grand Prix to bring Ricciardo’s season to a premature end, giving the team time to assess Liam Lawson for the role of Verstappen’s teammate.

Ricciardo bowed out by setting the fastest lap of the race for the 17th and final time in his Grand Prix career.

Two years after his Formula 1 exit, the Honey Badger has given a remarkably candid interview on the Beyond the Grid podcast about his Formula 1 exit and his life since leaving.

“The fear I had is, in hindsight and learning how content I am not having that anymore, is that what if they kept extending contracts for me? Would I keep doing it?

“Was I ever going to turn the tap off? Because I know I wanted to, I know I wanted to.

“I can tell you right now, in Monaco 2022 after the race, I’m sitting in my apartment talking to my team and I was like, ‘guys, I don’t want to do this anymore. Like, I’m done’.

“And I’ve had these conversations more than once over the years. Silverstone 2015 was another time.

“Sure, you have lows and whatever, but so there’s moments where I’ve wanted to just get away from it but the reality is: would I have?

“Because I think also you have people around you that tell you you’re great, tell you can still do it, and you end up also believing a lot of these voices.

“I know they don’t mean harm, but you don’t really get a chance to have your own thoughts much.

“I think that would have probably just continued, and maybe I’d still be racing, and that’s also a scary thought.

“I still don’t like how it ended, but there’s also a part of me which is grateful that they pulled the trigger, because I wouldn’t want to be doing it now.”

However, after Red Bull pulled the trigger, Ricciardo revealed he struggled with feelings of humiliation and failure in the aftermath of his sack.

“You start racing at such a young age, and over the years you build, I guess, a ruthlessness, but that also is inward as well,” he said. “You can be very harsh on yourself and expect a lot from yourself.

“So I think, let’s say failing, or that was my view of it – failing. You know, not performing to the level I needed to at the time, or not being able to finish out the season, or whatever.

“Then you, it’s then a sense of humiliation. Like I failed, and I didn’t do what I once could.

“And yeah, I think trying to deal with that those next few months, it was all just, yeah I understood it as I was just hiding from the humiliation and you know people saw me out in public I was ha ha ha and having a good time and having a drink or whatever and I was just really hiding from what I really felt deep inside, which was a lot of pain and sadness.

“Like shit, it’s gone. I was once this kid that was fighting for or hoping at least to fight for a world title, and obviously winning races or whatever. But now it’s like, oh, it’s gone.”

Now two years out of the sport, Ricciardo has redefined what having a purpose means for his life.

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“Like having a purpose is obviously still very important. And yes, there’s been many days in the last two years that I’ve woken up without a purpose, and days just tick by, and you’re like, ‘okay, like what am I doing with my life?’

“And you feel like a failure, honestly. And it’s very confronting to say to yourself when you look at yourself in the mirror, and you’re like, ‘I’m a failure, I’ve achieved absolutely nothing this week, and days have just ticked by, and it’s like, what am I doing with my life?’

“I’m 30-something and I did so much but there’s still so much more to do and to live.

“So yeah it’s finding a purpose but reminding myself or telling myself that doesn’t have to be some massive mountain I need to climb, it’s just having something each day to wake up and make you feel good about yourself, make you smile and have a task.”

Two of Ricciardo’s tasks include being a global ambassador for Ford and managing his Enchanté clothing line.

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