Daniel Ricciardo admitted it took him some time to adapt to a new pace of life after leaving Formula 1, but has now found the right balance he wanted.<\/p>\n
Ricciardo was moved aside at Racing Bulls after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, with Liam Lawson stepping into the breach on a full-time basis.<\/p>\n
Daniel Ricciardo: \u2018It took me a little while to adjust\u2019 after F1 retirement<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for news you can trust.<\/p>\n While there were reports linking him with a return to the sport, he has confirmed on multiple occasions that he has retired from Formula 1 \u2013 even handing over his race number, 3, to Max Verstappen<\/a>, a year before it was due to become available again.<\/p>\n Following the full-time rigours of training, marketing days, global travel and competing in Formula 1, Ricciardo now enjoys an altogether easier pace of life after stepping out of the Formula 1 paddock.<\/p>\n He has since taken on an ambassadorial role with Ford. That has seen him reunite with the Red Bull stable at recent marketing activities, including the team\u2019s recent season launch in Detroit.<\/p>\n According to the Australian, the Ford relationship helps keep his hand in with the world of motorsport.<\/p>\n But going from a packed calendar to having fewer commitments took some adjusting to.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is next for me is really just enjoying this pace of life I\u2019m living now,\u201d Ricciardo said in a Q&A with GQ Sports.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took me a little while to adjust from retirement, but now I\u2019m finding, let\u2019s say, my pace and my happiness, and with Ford and being the ambassador for them, it\u2019s a way to still stay in racing, in motorsport, in the automotive world, but without the pressure that I put on myself for many years.<\/p>\n What happened to Daniel Ricciardo?<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 What happened to Daniel Ricciardo? The compelling theories to explain his sharp F1 decline<\/a> \u201cSo, that\u2019s a nice balance that I\u2019m very happy with.\u201d<\/p>\n Ricciardo has made visits to the Formula 1 paddock since his retirement, sporting a new look in the process after leaving the sport.<\/p>\n Having taken a step back from full-time sport, he has taken the time to do what he could not when his calendar was fuller.<\/p>\n \u201cLife has changed a lot, but it\u2019s been good,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of time to myself, time to grow a beard, doing things that I didn\u2019t really get a chance to do when I was racing and travelling so much, and that\u2019s a lot of time with family and friends.<\/p>\n \u201cSo [I\u2019ve] enjoyed it a lot, getting to put a lot of miles on my [Ford] Raptor.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49 Daniel Ricciardo: Defining the F1 legacy of the Honey Badger<\/a><\/p>\n