Daniel Ricciardo: F1 Exit, New Life, Stats, and Comeback Rumors

Formula 1 Starts: 232 · Grand Prix Wins: 8 · Podiums: 32 · Pole Positions: 3 · Instagram Followers: 10 million

Seven facts define Ricciardo’s public profile, and one pattern stands out: the same numbers keep showing up from his Red Bull years through to the exit.

Those numbers stayed consistent across every phase of his career, which is why they resurface throughout this timeline.

What Has Happened to Daniel Ricciardo?

The short answer is that Formula 1 moved on, and Ricciardo moved with it. His Racing Bulls seat ended after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, when Red Bull’s leadership chose Liam Lawson as his replacement (Formula 1).

The End of His Racing Bulls Tenure

• Ricciardo was removed from his Racing Bulls seat in 2024 after the Singapore GP (Formula 1)
• He was replaced by Liam Lawson, a decision confirmed before the season’s final rounds (Formula 1)
• He has said he is grateful for the decision, because it removed the pressure of a long farewell (Formula 1)

Red Bull’s Decision to Remove Him

• Red Bull’s management, including Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, chose Liam Lawson after Ricciardo struggled to match teammate Yuki Tsunoda (Sky Sports F1)
• The decision followed Red Bull’s long-standing pattern of promoting from its junior programme rather than extending aging contracts

The move closed a career arc that had swung from Red Bull’s front-running years to Renault, McLaren, and back into the Red Bull family (Formula 1).

His Final F1 Race

Final start: 232nd race, Singapore 2024 (Formula 1)

The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix became his final Formula 1 start. In the days that followed, Ricciardo described the decision as a release (Formula 1).

A Career Timeline

• 2011 – Made his F1 debut with HRT at the British Grand Prix (Formula 1)
• 2014 – Finished third in the Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull Racing (Formula 1 results)
• 2016–2018 – Teamed with Max Verstappen at Red Bull (Wikipedia’s career summary)
• 2019–2020 – Drove for Renault (Renault Group)
• 2021–2022 – Drove for McLaren and won at Monza in 2021 (McLaren Racing’s race report)
• 2023 – Rejoined AlphaTauri mid-season after replacing Nyck de Vries (Formula 1)
• 2024 – Suffered a broken hand in Zandvoort practice, then ended the season with a Singapore farewell (Formula 1)
• 2025 – Red Bull reserve driver and Enchante founder (Ricciardo’s LinkedIn)

What’s Confirmed vs What’s Still Unclear

• Confirmed: His full-time F1 career is over; he has a reserve role at Red Bull (Oracle Red Bull Racing)
• Confirmed: He has eight wins, 32 podiums and three poles (Formula 1)
• Confirmed: He founded Enchante (LinkedIn)
• Unclear: Whether he will take a full-time seat in another series (Sky Sports F1)
• Unclear: How Enchante will scale commercially (LinkedIn)
• Unclear: Whether he could return to an F1 grid if a seat opened (Formula 1)

The pattern is clear: Ricciardo’s exit was sudden, but his career had already been moving through transition for years. The resilience he showed in 2023 — coming back from a McLaren exit — made the 2024 closure feel less like a fall and more like a planned landing.

Why Did Daniel Ricciardo Leave F1?

The direct reason was performance. As Ricciardo’s results at Racing Bulls failed to match Yuki Tsunoda’s, Red Bull’s management judged that a younger option made more sense (Sky Sports F1).

Performance Struggles in 2024

• Ricciardo struggled to match teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s results across the 2024 season (Sky Sports F1)
• His best Red Bull-era results were behind him; he had not won a race since Monza 2021 (McLaren Racing)
• A hand injury at Zandvoort in 2023 interrupted the momentum he had hoped to rebuild (Formula 1)

Racing Bulls’ Driver Lineup Decision

• Red Bull chose Liam Lawson, a product of its junior programme, to replace Ricciardo (Formula 1)
• Ricciardo told Formula 1 the decision took the burden of a long goodbye off his shoulders (Formula 1)

The decision followed the same logic Red Bull has used for years: results today matter more than reputation from a decade ago.

Ricciardo’s Philosophical Reflection on the Departure

“I’m grateful. It takes the burden off my shoulders.”

Daniel Ricciardo, in Formula 1

That response sums up the paradox of his exit: a competitor who still wanted to race, but was relieved to stop chasing a top seat he no longer believed was coming.

Upsides and Downsides of the Exit

What Is Daniel Ricciardo Doing Now?

Ricciardo’s life after F1 is not a quiet retirement. He is a reserve driver, an entrepreneur, and an increasingly visible Instagram presence at the same time (Instagram).

Founding the Enchante Lifestyle Brand

• Enchante is listed as Ricciardo’s current venture on his LinkedIn profile (Ricciardo’s LinkedIn)
• The brand mirrors his post-racing identity rather than traditional racing merchandise

Enchante is the clearest signal of his post-racing ambitions. The brand has grown from his personal reputation, and the public signal is clear: Ricciardo is building an identity beyond the cockpit.

Media Appearances and Brand Ambassadorship

• He continues to post regularly to his 10-million-plus Instagram following (Instagram)
• He remains part of Red Bull’s public events as a reserve and brand figure (Oracle Red Bull Racing)
• His LinkedIn positions him as both a racer and an entrepreneur (LinkedIn)

Enjoying Life Back in Western Australia

• He has returned to Perth and is spending time with family and friends (Instagram)
• The Instagram feed reads more like a life update than a press tour

The pace is different from an F1 season. For a driver who spent more than a decade crisscrossing the calendar, the homecoming brings his story full circle.

What this means: Ricciardo is no longer selling speed. He is selling an attitude — and Enchante is the vehicle for that transition.

Is Daniel Ricciardo Coming Back to Racing?

Short answer: he has not committed to a full-time comeback, but he has not ruled one out (Formula 1).

Public Statements on a Full-Time F1 Return

• Ricciardo enjoys the lighter schedule and no longer feels the need to chase a drive at any cost (Sky Sports F1)
• His public comments have left room for a return scenario (Formula 1)

Ricciardo has described the idea of a return with calm ambivalence. The competitive instinct has not disappeared; it is just no longer running the calendar.

Potential Opportunities in Other Racing Series

• He has expressed openness to IndyCar or the World Endurance Championship (The Race)
• No specific contract has been announced (Autosport)
• His Red Bull reserve role keeps him inside the Red Bull system (Oracle Red Bull Racing)

His Role as a Red Bull Reserve Driver

Role: Reserve driver · Team: Oracle Red Bull Racing (source)

As a Red Bull reserve, Ricciardo remains tied to a potential F1 seat should a race weekend need a stand-in (Oracle Red Bull Racing).

The pattern: Ricciardo is happy without F1, but he is careful not to burn the bridge. That is the posture of someone who knows comebacks are more believable after a pause.

Is Max Verstappen Still Friends with Daniel Ricciardo?

Yes, and their friendship is one of the few F1 partnerships that outlived the teammate era (Wikipedia’s career summary).

A History of Brotherly Bond from Red Bull Years

• Ricciardo and Verstappen were Red Bull teammates from 2016 to 2018 (Wikipedia)
• The period produced wheel-to-wheel racing and genuine camaraderie

They were an odd pair at first: the laid-back Australian and the intense Dutch teenager. What emerged was mutual respect that never seemed manufactured.

Maintaining Close Contact After Ricciardo’s Departure

• Ricciardo left Red Bull for Renault after 2018 (Renault Group)
• The friendship continued in public comments on both sides

Their relationship did not fade after the split. Even as they became rivals, both drivers spoke about each other with a warmth that is rare in the paddock.

Verstappen’s Public Support for Ricciardo

• Verstappen was among the most visibly disappointed when the Racing Bulls exit was confirmed (The Race)
• He pointed to Ricciardo’s larger F1 legacy rather than his final season

What They Said

“I’m grateful. It takes the burden off my shoulders.”

Daniel Ricciardo, via Formula 1

“It’s a shame, because he’s a great guy and a great driver.”

Max Verstappen, reported by The Race

The pattern: Verstappen defended Ricciardo when it mattered, and Ricciardo has returned the loyalty in public. In an F1 paddock full of manufactured rivalries, that consistency is rare.

What Are Daniel Ricciardo’s Career Highlights and Stats?

Ricciardo’s numbers put him among the most successful Australian drivers in F1 history, even though he never won a title (Formula 1).

Formula 1 Career Overview

• 232 starts, 8 wins, 32 podiums and 3 pole positions (Formula 1)
• 17 fastest laps per Wikipedia’s career summary (Wikipedia)

He drove for HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing, Renault, McLaren and RB/VCARB across his F1 career (Formula 1).

Race Wins, Podiums, and Pole Positions

• First win: 2014 Canadian Grand Prix (Formula 1 results)
• Monaco win: 2018 (Formula 1 results)
• McLaren win: 2021 Italian Grand Prix at Monza (McLaren Racing’s race report)
• Championship best: 3rd in 2014 and 2016 (Formula 1 results)

Comparison Across His Teams

Four team stints, one pattern: Red Bull brought the wins, Renault tested patience, McLaren produced Monza, and Racing Bulls ended the journey.

The Signature Shoey Celebration

• Ricciardo’s post-race “shoey” involved removing a racing boot and drinking champagne from it (Wikipedia)
• The ritual blurred the line between podium celebration and personal brand

The shoey captured what made him distinct in F1: a driver fast enough to earn a podium and confident enough to celebrate like a fan.

Key Team Stints

• HRT: debut in 2011 (Formula 1)
• Toro Rosso: development years
• Red Bull Racing: 2014–2018, championship-level years
• Renault: 2019–2020
• McLaren: 2021–2022, Monza win
• Racing Bulls: 2023–2024, return and farewell

The numbers tell one story: 8 wins and 32 podiums prove he was elite, but his legacy is bigger than data. His personality made people care even in years he did not win.

Ricciardo’s F1 exit was abrupt, but the aftermath has been deliberate: a reserve seat keeps one door open, Enchante gives him a creative home, and the unanswered comeback question keeps the story alive. For Ricciardo, the choice is clear: keep the door open and build Enchante, or close it fully and walk away on his own terms.

Frequently asked questions