Daniel Ricciardo: New outlook as Aussie F1 star deals with life out of the fast lane

One of Australia’s most adored sporting superstars, Daniel Ricciardo, has given a candid insight into life after his inglorious sacking from the Red Bull F1 team, and his attempts to be “better”.

A new look and attitude to life has been the order for the Perth native, who lost his seat with the Visa Cash Racing Bulls team in September last year immediately following the Singapore Grand Prix.

RBR powerbrokers dropped the hammer on the Aussie to make way for Kiwi youngster Liam Lawson, and the rumour mill about Ricciardo’s future has been constantly bubbling along since, with Cadillac looking to announce drivers for their new Formula One team in 2026.

The V8 Supercars hierarchy in Australia have also spruiked an open chequebook to lure Ricciardo if the opportunity presents.

After bobbing up on social media posts around the world and fending off questions about a possible return to driving following his 14-year, eight victory career, he touched down as guest speaker at the Ray White Connect conference on the Gold Coast this week and was open in his appraisal about life out of the fast lane.

“Well, I haven’t been shaving my face. The beard is my comfort right now,” the 36-year-old told Channel 7’s Mel McLaughlin.

“I had a fallout with my barber and then I lost my razor. It’s been a tough six months.”

As most professional sports people discover once they are no longer part of the team or process, Ricciardo’s new life offers more spare time and less attention, which brings both benefits and pitfalls.

“I’ve lived this crazy, high-speed life for so long, and I just sat into a little bit of stillness. I suddenly wasn’t always surrounded by a tonne of people giving their opinions and thoughts,” Ricciardo said.

“I’ve had a lot of time, I’ve done some hiking. I was in Alaska a few weeks ago and didn’t get mauled by a grizzly which was a bonus.

“I’ve been trying to figure out who I am other than this race car driver.

“I’ve come to appreciate the little things more and the meaning of the importance of family and friends.

“I’ve always been driven, and that sometimes leads you to being selfish, so I’m trying to learn to be a bit more selfless and become a better listener.”

Offering advice for anyone aspiring to achieve at the highest level, Ricciardo gave a snapshot of his early years and the bold decisions he made as a youngster to chase his dreams.

“Childhood was great. I was always driven to do something that scared me a bit. The reason I got into racing was that no one was really doing it. It was my chance to do something a little bit cooler than everyone else,” News Corp publications reported.

“I was just showing off, but showing off has got me to a really good place in life.”

Ricciardo’s popularity exploded following the hugely popular Netflix series Drive To Survive, where he famously called the producers of the show a “bunch of c...” and instantly garnered cult status with sports fans around the world.

His sign off to fans after the surprise Red Bull departure signalled his appreciation of the chances he was given and the question over his world title aspirations.

Wearing casual clothes and sipping a glass of whisky, Ricciardo addressed his F1 axing, saying: “This is it”.

“I never thought I would have this career. I never thought I’d be here, you know? That’s the truth,” he said.

“Yes, my dream was to be world champion, and there were years along the way where I genuinely felt like it was gonna happen.

“I got close, that’s OK. If I were a world champion sitting here today, would it change how I feel or how I view myself, or anything like that? I don’t think so.

“Maybe my ego would be big. We don’t want that. I have no regrets.”