Most Formula 1 fans have a Daniel Ricciardo story—the shoey, the smile, or the overtake that somehow worked. The verified record shows a clear departure date after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, confirmed by Formula 1, a retirement label that took time to settle, and a driver who still won’t rule out a return, now building a quieter life around brand ventures and a Ford Racing ambassadorship.
Born: 1 July 1989 · F1 career: 2011–2024 · Grand Prix wins: 8 · Nickname: The Honey Badger · Australian F1 record: Most experienced Australian F1 driver · Wikipedia
Quick snapshot
- Ricciardo’s final F1 race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1).
- Racing Bulls replaced him with Liam Lawson on 26 September 2024 (GPFans).
- His Instagram bio names him as founder of Enchante (official Instagram profile).
- Ricciardo did not initially use the word “retirement” after losing the seat (The Athletic).
- The Racing Bulls statement did not specify a single exit reason. (The Athletic)
- No verified source confirms the current state of his friendship with Max Verstappen. (The Athletic)
- F1 career: 2011–2024.
- Final race: Singapore, 2024.
- Lawson took the seat for the remaining six races of the season.
- Ford Racing global ambassador (Formula 1). (official X profile)
- Tailgate business with Dabble (official X profile).
- No immediate TV punditry, per PlanetF1.
These are the numbers that keep coming up in verified profiles: one biography, one career span, one consistent nickname.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Ricciardo |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 1 July 1989 |
| F1 seasons | 2011–2024 |
| Nickname | The Honey Badger |
| Grand Prix wins | 8 |
What has happened to Daniel Ricciardo?
The simplest answer is that he is no longer a current F1 driver. The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix was his final race, and Racing Bulls then replaced him with Liam Lawson. That seat change took immediate effect on 26 September 2024, according to GPFans (F1 news outlet).
Ricciardo did not get a farewell tour. Racing Bulls made the call public, and the statement focused on what he gave the team rather than on a single exit reason.
Career snapshot and 2024 context
- His 2024 departure ended his attempt to return to Red Bull’s senior team, PlanetF1 (F1 news outlet) reported.
- Racing Bulls publicly thanked him for his experience, talent, attitude, and contribution to team spirit.
- The broader career frame is simple: an Australian former F1 driver who raced from 2011 to 2024 and won eight Grands Prix.
The exit, though, was a team decision years in the making.
The pattern: Ricciardo did not retire in the moment he lost the seat. He was released, and the team’s statement framed it as a contribution to team culture as much as a performance call.
Why has Daniel Ricciardo left F1?
There is no single “he resigned” or “he was fired” line in the verified record. What is clear: Ricciardo’s first public message after losing the seat did not use the word retirement, The Athletic (sports journalism) noted.
Contract and seat context
- Racing Bulls replaced Ricciardo with Liam Lawson with immediate effect, per GPFans.
- The seat was not the main Red Bull seat; it was Racing Bulls, the team formerly known as AlphaTauri and RB.
- PlanetF1 added that the departure ended his push to get back into Red Bull’s senior team.
That context matters because Ricciardo’s Racing Bulls stint was widely treated as a comeback audition.
The trade-off: the decision was made by the team, but the public explanation stayed polite. Fans are left with a driver who says he loved F1 and a team that thanked him, but no detailed reason for the split.
Is Daniel Ricciardo retiring from F1?
The label took time. Immediately after the exit, Ricciardo did not call it a retirement, according to The Athletic.
Retirement status and post-F1 evidence
- Current references describe Ricciardo as a former racing driver, and his F1 career is recorded as 2011–2024.
- His final F1 race was in Singapore in 2024.
- His Ford Racing ambassadorship was confirmed in September 2025, PlanetF1 noted.
The distinction matters: leaving a seat is not the same as retiring from racing. Ricciardo first became a former F1 driver, then later a retired motorsport driver, and the delay explains why the question stayed alive.
Retirement from F1 and retirement from motorsport are two different statements. The record supports both, but at different moments.
What this means: if someone asks whether Ricciardo is retired, the precise answer is “yes, from full-time racing, eventually, but not in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 team decision.”
What is Ricciardo doing now?
Life after F1 has been active rather than quiet. The snapshot above shows the shape of it: a Ford Racing ambassadorship, an Enchante founder label, a Dabble-backed Tailgate business, and no rush into a TV studio.
Post-F1 business ventures
- Ricciardo’s Instagram bio names him as founder of Enchante.
- His X account announces a Tailgate business with Dabble.
- His role with Ford keeps him near racing without a race seat.
Brand and media presence
- Ricciardo said he did not want to move immediately into television commentary, PlanetF1 reported.
- He also said he did not want to take a new role merely to remain visible to the public.
- Motorsport Week (motorsport outlet) reports he has spent time away from racing on his Australian farm, with a “never say never” line about returning.
The through-line: Ricciardo is not chasing a media desk or a hollow ambassador title. He is building a personal brand around hospitality, racing culture, and selective partnerships.
Why this matters: his value after F1 depends on staying culturally visible without overexposing the brand. The Ford deal gives him racing credibility; Enchante and Dabble give him consumer reach.
Is Max Verstappen still friends with Daniel Ricciardo?
The friendship question is rooted in a real shared history: Ricciardo and Verstappen were Red Bull teammates before Ricciardo left the team. The verified source set, however, includes no public confirmation of their current friendship.
Red Bull teammate years
- They raced together at Red Bull in the 2016–2018 seasons (Wikipedia).
- Ricciardo left Red Bull, and Verstappen stayed with the team through its dominant era.
- No interview, team statement, or social post in the verified record settles the “still friends?” question.
The bond is part of the nostalgia: two aggressive, smile-heavy drivers who pushed each other in the same machinery. But nostalgia is not evidence.
Based on the current record, the correct reply is “not publicly documented,” not “yes” or “no.”
The trade-off: fans may want the old Red Bull duo to remain close, but without a public data point, the relationship stays a memory, not a verified fact.
Who is the most disliked driver in F1?
There is no official FIA ranking for “most disliked,” “worst,” “kindest,” or “unluckiest” F1 drivers. The related-search questions around Ricciardo are fan-reputation debates, not verified facts.
Subjective F1 reputation rankings
- No official organization in the verified set publishes a “least liked” leaderboard.
- Any named driver in that conversation needs a named poll, article, or survey to back it up.
- Ricciardo is not placed in a “most disliked” category by any source used here.
F1 fan polls and media labels
- Fan forums and social polls exist, but they are not authoritative measurements.
- Words like “worst” and “kindest” are editorial labels, not statistical categories.
If you see a headline calling any driver the most disliked in F1, you are reading an opinion, not an official classification.
What this means: the question is searchable, but the answer is not a fact. It’s a reflection of fan sentiment, polls, and media framing.
Career timeline: from debut to the farm
The arc is shorter than fans remember: 14 F1 seasons, a peak at Red Bull, a difficult McLaren stretch, and a final Racing Bulls chapter that ended in September 2024.
| Date/period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1 July 1989 | Born in Australia. |
| 2011 | Makes F1 debut; career continues to 2024. |
| 2016–2018 | Races alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull. |
| 2021–2022 | Competes for McLaren. |
| 2024 | Final F1 season; replaced by Liam Lawson after Singapore. |
| After 2024 | Launches Enchante, Dabble Tailgate, and Ford Racing ambassadorship. |
The timeline signal: the competitive window closed in 2024, but the public life did not. The post-F1 projects started immediately.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear
Confirmed facts
- Ricciardo finished the 2024 season with seven championship points before his departure (GPFans).
- Ricciardo has spent time away from racing on his Australian farm (Motorsport Week).
What’s unclear
- Ricciardo’s final F1 race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
- Racing Bulls replaced him with Liam Lawson on 26 September 2024.
- His Instagram bio lists him as founder of Enchante.
- His X account lists a Dabble Tailgate business.
- The exact reason he left is not specified in the Racing Bulls statement.
- He did not initially call it a retirement, according to The Athletic.
- His net worth, marital status, and current friendship with Max Verstappen are not in the verified record.
- Ricciardo described his departure as an involuntary decision because Racing Bulls released him.
The balance: the confirmed list draws on specific competitive benchmarks, but the unclear items capture the personal and career questions fans keep asking.
Quotes that frame the exit
Two voices capture how the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career was framed: his own and the team that released him.
Ricciardo had loved Formula 1 throughout his life and described his career as a remarkable journey.
Ricciardo’s message, reported by The Athletic (sports journalism)
Racing Bulls thanked Ricciardo for his experience, talent, attitude, and contribution to team spirit.
Team statement, reported by GPFans (F1 news outlet)
The through-line: Ricciardo’s own words and the team’s statement agree on one thing—this was a partnership that ended with respect, if not with a detailed explanation.
Summary
Ricciardo’s F1 chapter ended with a team decision, not a farewell tour; the retirement label arrived later, and his year since has been about brand-building rather than going quiet. For F1 fans who grew up with the Honey Badger, the choice is simple: follow the Ford partnership and the Enchante/Dabble projects, or wait to see whether “never say never” turns into a cockpit again.
Related reading: Daniel Ricciardo post-F1 sponsorships and retirement · Daniel Ricciardo F1 exit: Red Bull VCARB official statement
Frequently asked questions
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s net worth?
Net worth is not provided in the verified source material used for this article.
Is Daniel Ricciardo married?
Marital status is not provided in the verified source material.
How tall is Daniel Ricciardo?
Height is not provided in the verified source material.
What is the Daniel Ricciardo shoey?
The shoey is the podium celebration Ricciardo made famous: drinking champagne from a racing boot after a strong result.
How many F1 races did Daniel Ricciardo win?
Ricciardo won eight Grands Prix during his F1 career.
What teams did Daniel Ricciardo drive for?
His F1 career included Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri/RB), among other teams.
The short version: the verified record answers fewer questions than a fan might hope.
Oliver Jack Carter Cooper is a staff writer for EveningLedger.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Edward Langley and Managing Editor Charlotte Reeves, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.