Former Red Bull and McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has published an open letter reflecting on his visit to last month\u2019s Indy 500.<\/p>\n
Ricciardo announced his retirement from motorsport in September 2025, 12 months after his final Formula 1 appearance with the Racing Bulls team.<\/p>\n
Daniel Ricciardo writes open letter after Indy 500 visit<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The 36-year-old went on to secure an ambassadorial role with Ford, Red Bull\u2019s F1 2026 engine partner, maintaining his ties to racing.<\/p>\n Enchant\u00e9, the lifestyle brand founded by Ricciardo, entered a collaboration with IndyCar veteran Conor Daly ahead of last month\u2019s Indianapolis 500, which fell on the same day as F1\u2019s Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.<\/p>\n The link up saw Ricciardo watch from trackside as Daly, his long-term friend, finished 12th for the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team.<\/p>\n What happened to Daniel Ricciardo?<\/p>\n What happened to Daniel Ricciardo? The compelling theories to explain his sharp F1 decline<\/a><\/p>\n Daniel Ricciardo: Defining the F1 legacy of the Honey Badger<\/a><\/p>\n In an open letter published on the official website of Enchant\u00e9, Ricciardo reflected on his visit to the Indy 500.<\/p>\n And he insisted that he is \u201cloving the change of pace\u201d after swapping a racing cockpit for a chair in the Enchant\u00e9 office.<\/p>\n Ricciardo wrote: \u201cSince stepping away from the driver\u2019s seat, I\u2019ve enjoyed spending a lot more time in the Enchant\u00e9 seat.<\/p>\n \u201cYep, I have a seat at the office. Most would think that\u2019s a weird jump, going from a 200mph cockpit to a static office chair.<\/p>\n \u201cBut honestly? I\u2019m loving the change of pace and getting to dive deeper into the brand we built out of a racing career, but is now outliving mine.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also a way to stay close to motorsport, just from a very different angle.<\/p>\n \u201cLooking back on the weekend, it was such a cool experience.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd let me remind you, I\u2019ve been all over the world doing this my whole life.<\/p>\n \u201cBut something about Indy was really amazing. Every neighborhood I drove past had Indy 500 flags and checkered flags hanging off the front porch.<\/p>\n \u201cIt kinda feels like the local sporting team has made the final or something. Everyone just gets behind it.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked Conor on race day what he does before the race to lock in and shut out the distractions and the noise.<\/p>\n \u201cHe said: \u2018Man, this is the biggest and coolest thing I\u2019ll ever do in my life, why would I not want to hear every noise and every cheer. I don\u2019t want to be listening to music. I want to see, hear, and feel everything.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cWas cool to see it from that side. And being on the grid, seeing tears in the drivers\u2019 eyes after the prayer and the anthem, I was like dammit, let\u2019s f**king goooo!!<\/p>\n \u201cHaha, you just have to experience it. The race is something more than just a race. Hard to put into words.<\/p>\n \u201cConor and I have been friends for close to 15 years, going back to when we were both chasing the European racing dream from opposite sides of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cSo to be there, finally, as a fan watching him race in his hometown, was pretty special.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kinda fun when the pressure isn\u2019t on you. Being a fan again brings me back to childhood feelings and memories. I like it.<\/p>\n \u201cAs for the collection, it started back in Vegas last year when Conor and I were both there for the GP.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d been trying to get me to Indy for ages, but the F1 schedule and the chaos of that lifestyle always made it tough.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I committed then and there. Conor met the Enchant\u00e9 team while we were all out for our pop-up, and everyone loved him as much as I do.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, actually, they loved him more than they love me (insert sad face). Conor\u2019s a character, a hell of a driver and a genuine good egg.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the race was locked in, we started designing a collection built around him and the Indy 500.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing it out in the world and on the ground at Indy was the perfect way to close out the month.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was fun. Let\u2019d [sic] do it again. Chat soon.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel.\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