Few drivers in Formula 1 have been as universally liked as Daniel Ricciardo — the man who turned a post‑race drink from his racing boot into a signature celebration. When he left the RB race seat in September 2024 and retired from Formula 1 in 2025, he closed a career of eight wins and 32 podiums, according to McLaren’s driver statistics archive — here’s his record, why he left, what he’s building now, and whether a comeback is real.
F1 race wins: 8 ·
F1 podium finishes: 32 ·
F1 pole positions: 3 ·
F1 fastest laps: 17 ·
F1 status: Retired in 2025 ·
Nationality: Australian
Quick snapshot
- His final race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix on 22 September 2024 (Formula 1’s race analysis).
- Eight wins, 32 podiums, three pole positions, and 17 fastest laps over his F1 career (McLaren F1’s statistics archive).
- His Instagram bio identifies him as founder of Enchante (official Instagram bio).
- Whether he will return to racing — no contract or team announcement exists.
- His current net worth — no verified figure in the reviewed sources.
- The exact reasons behind the 2024 RB seat change.
- Whether the 2025 retirement was a formal announcement or a retrospective label.
- A definitive public ranking of the friendliest or most disliked F1 driver.
- Public focus is Enchante plus training with blessedmma and EA Sports UFC (official Instagram).
- No confirmed race seat for 2025 or beyond. (official Instagram)
Eight rows, one pattern: the numbers behind a career that outlasted two team changes and ended with a record no previous Australian driver had reached.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| F1 status | Retired in 2025 |
| F1 race wins | 8 |
| F1 podium finishes | 32 |
| F1 pole positions | 3 |
| F1 fastest laps | 17 |
| Known for | Shoey celebration |
| Personal brand | Enchante founder |
What has happened to Daniel Ricciardo?
The exit happened in two stages: a 2024 seat change, then a 2025 retirement. The public timeline was short and unusually clear.
Retirement announcement
- Formula 1 reported that Ricciardo parted with the Red Bull family after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, with six races still to run (Formula 1’s race analysis).
- Racing Bulls then confirmed Ricciardo would leave the team, with Liam Lawson replacing him for those final six races (ABC News).
- By 2025, career summaries describe Ricciardo as retired from Formula 1.
What this means: the announcement was a seat change, not a farewell tour — the retirement label came later, as the reality settled in.
F1 career totals
- Career peaks: third in the championship in 2014 (three wins, 238 points) and 2016 (one win, 256 points), plus a first McLaren win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix (ESPN’s driver statistics).
- He debuted at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix and finished as Australia’s most experienced F1 driver, passing Mark Webber at his 116th start (McLaren F1’s statistics archive).
What this means: his peak seasons are the counterweight to the late decline — the record answers every “poor driver” question before the debate starts.
Was Ricciardo a poor driver?
Eight wins and 32 podiums don’t happen by luck. Ricciardo’s record settles the “poor driver” question before the debate starts.
The question surfaces in search results because his final seasons were quiet. But the career totals above — plus two championship top‑threes and wins for two teams — describe a strong driver whose last act faded, not a weak one.
The pattern: Ricciardo’s career is defined by his early success and his later decline, but the numbers confirm his talent.
Why has Daniel Ricciardo left F1?
Ricciardo didn’t retire mid‑2024 — he was replaced. That distinction matters for how the end of his career is remembered.
The RB seat change
- Racing Bulls confirmed the seat change on 26 September 2024, with Liam Lawson taking over for the remaining six races (ABC News).
- His final race, the Singapore Grand Prix, had come four days earlier.
- The 2024 season produced no wins, no poles, 12 points, and 17th place in the championship (ESPN’s driver statistics).
2024 driver market context
- The RB seat was one of the least secure on the grid in 2024.
- Midfield teams rotate drivers on results; his 2024 numbers gave the team little incentive to wait.
What this means: the exit was a performance‑driven team decision, and the 2025 retirement is how the story was formally closed.
What is Daniel Ricciardo doing now?
Ricciardo’s second act is visible on his own channels: a brand called Enchante, serious training, and a lifestyle that looks closer to a sabbatical than a retirement.
Founder of Enchante
- His official Instagram bio lists him as founder of Enchante.
- Enchante is the commercial anchor of his post‑F1 identity.
- The brand gives him a platform that doesn’t depend on a race seat.
Training and fitness
- His Instagram activity shows training with blessedmma and EA Sports UFC (official Instagram).
- The posts suggest a driver staying sharp, not one chasing a race calendar.
Social media presence
- His official Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts all remain active.
- The mix is brand content, training clips, and lifestyle moments — classic personal‑brand building.
Why this matters: Ricciardo is treating retirement like a product launch — and the audience is still there, even when the results weren’t.
Is Daniel Ricciardo coming back to racing?
The shortest honest answer: there is no confirmed comeback — no contract, no team announcement, no official statement.
Official retirement status
- Career summaries now describe Ricciardo as retired from Formula 1.
- No official statement in the reviewed sources confirms a return to a race seat.
- His public channels point to Enchante and training, not a racing program.
Post‑F1 projects
- Enchante is the centerpiece of his post‑F1 work.
- Training content with blessedmma and EA Sports UFC fills the rest of the feed.
No confirmed comeback
- A credible comeback claim would need a signed contract or an official team announcement.
- Nothing in the public record meets that standard.
Every “Ricciardo return” headline without a signature is speculation. Racing Bulls made the 2024 call; no official statement since has confirmed a return.
What this means: for now, the comeback question has one honest answer — not confirmed, and nothing close.
Do Verstappen and Ricciardo get along?
The friendship questions follow Ricciardo because his teammate relationships were unusually visible — and unusually warm.
Red Bull teammates
- Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were Red Bull teammates from 2016 to 2018 (ESPN’s season‑by‑season archive).
- Their on‑track battles were intense, and they are generally remembered as respectful.
Lando Norris friendship
- Ricciardo and Lando Norris were McLaren teammates in 2021 and 2022 (ESPN’s driver statistics).
- Their friendship became one of the most visible in the paddock, and it has outlasted their time as teammates.
Kelly Piquet clarification
- Kelly Piquet is associated with Max Verstappen, not Daniel Ricciardo.
- The Ricciardo‑Piquet link is a mix‑up that keeps appearing in search queries, not a documented relationship.
F1 popularity perception
- The “friendliest F1 driver” and “most disliked driver” questions have no definitive public ranking.
- What is documented: Ricciardo’s popularity survived the results, which is why his post‑F1 brand has an audience.
Being the paddock’s friendliest face never guaranteed Ricciardo a top seat — but it’s exactly why his personal brand outlasted his racing career.
The trade‑off: Ricciardo’s likability made him the paddock’s favorite teammate, but it never protected him from the driver market — and that gap between popularity and results is the real story of his final years.
The pattern: Ricciardo’s relationships on the grid were genuine, but they didn’t shelter him from the performance‑driven market.
Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career timeline
Six dates trace the arc: a Red Bull partnership, a McLaren reinvention, and a 2024 exit that became a 2025 retirement.
- 2016‑2018: Teammates with Max Verstappen at Red Bull (ESPN).
- 2021: Joins McLaren alongside Lando Norris (ESPN).
- 2021 season: Becomes Australia’s most experienced F1 driver, passing Mark Webber at his 116th start (McLaren F1).
- 22 September 2024: Final race, the Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1).
- 26 September 2024: Racing Bulls confirms exit; Liam Lawson takes the seat (ABC News).
- 2025: Described as retired from Formula 1.
What this means: the timeline shows a driver who peaked at Red Bull, reinvented himself at McLaren, and was squeezed out by the 2024 driver market.
Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Ricciardo retired from F1, with his final race at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix (Formula 1).
- Eight wins, 32 podiums, three pole positions, and 17 fastest laps (McLaren F1).
- He is listed as founder of Enchante on his official Instagram bio (official Instagram).
- He became Australia’s most experienced F1 driver, passing Mark Webber at his 116th start (McLaren F1).
What’s unclear
- Whether he will return to racing — no contract or team announcement exists.
- His current net worth — no verified figure in the reviewed sources.
- The exact reasons behind the 2024 RB seat change.
- Whether the 2025 retirement was a formal announcement or a retrospective label.
- A definitive public ranking of the friendliest or most disliked F1 driver.
Why this matters: keeping the two lists separate is the only way to read the comeback rumours without getting fooled — the confirmed list ends at retirement, and everything beyond it is speculation.
Key quotes and statements
Founder of Enchante.
Daniel Ricciardo’s official Instagram bio
Daniel Ricciardo dropped by RB, Liam Lawson’s seat confirmed.
ABC News’ report on the seat change
2011‑2024, eight wins, 32 podiums, three pole positions.
McLaren F1’s driver statistics archive
What this means: the statements line up — a driver building a new brand, a team making a hard call, and an archive recording the numbers that survive both.
The takeaway
Daniel Ricciardo is retired from Formula 1, and the evidence points one way: his energy is now in Enchante, his training, and a personal brand that outgrew the sport. For fans, the choice is clear — follow the Enchante era and accept the retirement as final, or keep waiting on a comeback that no team has signed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s net worth?
No verified figure appears in the official sources reviewed for this article. Online estimates vary widely, so treat any exact number as unconfirmed — the only official numbers tied to Ricciardo are his career statistics on track.
How tall is Daniel Ricciardo?
His height is not consistently documented in the official sources used here. Rather than repeat an unverified number, we’ve left this one unconfirmed.
How many F1 wins does Daniel Ricciardo have?
Eight Formula 1 race victories — from his first at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix to his last at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, per McLaren’s driver archive (McLaren F1’s statistics archive).
When did Daniel Ricciardo retire from F1?
His final race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix on 22 September 2024. Racing Bulls confirmed his exit two days later (ABC News), and by 2025 he is described as retired from Formula 1.
What is the Daniel Ricciardo shoey?
The shoey — drinking champagne from a racing boot after a victory — became Ricciardo’s signature celebration in Formula 1. Formula 1’s look back at his career framed it as part of the personality that made him one of the sport’s most popular figures (Formula 1).
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s Enchante brand?
Enchante is the personal brand Ricciardo identifies as founder of on his official Instagram bio (official Instagram bio). It’s the commercial anchor of his post‑F1 career, alongside his training content.
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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.