In one of the Australian’s first public statements in months, the Perth native spoke about his “retirement” from Formula 1 at his karting series in the United Kingdom.
The Daniel Ricciardo Series is a kart competition where his aptly named DRS Ricciardo Kart is used. At the event, Ricciardo said he was “all good” and enjoying opportunities away from Formula 1.
“I’m just enjoying some life in the slow lane,” he said.
“I mean, it sounds weird saying like retirement when I’m 35 years old, but retirement from at least the world I was living in. It’s cool.”
Ricciardo was unceremoniously dumped by Red Bull after the Singapore Grand Prix last year.
His RB (now Racing Bulls) seat was given to Liam Lawson, who has also endured a tumultuous time in Formula 1 as part of the broader Red Bull camp.
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Ricciardo has not raced since Singapore. His public appearances have been limited to promotional activities with his Enchanté clothing brand as well as a deal with betting agency Dabble.
His presence on social media has been limited, but a series of recent posts fueled speculation online that he might make a return in some capacity.
Ricciardo said the opportunity to help the next generation of up-and-coming drivers at Buckmore Park was rewarding.
“To be at the kart track… it’s my first time at a race track since I guess Singapore, so quite a few months now. But it’s cool to see the kids… this is why I started karting,” said Ricciardo.
“I’ve had photos with groups of the kids and I can tell the friendships they have, and these friendships will last a lifetime a lot of them.
“My best friend to this day was a friend that I raced karts with. It’s nice to be back at like the grassroots of it and the most pure form of racing.”
Ricciardo said the return to grassroots racing was a humbling experience but worth its weight in gold.
“I think now that I’m a bit removed from it and life is not as chaotic, it’s nice to remember what it was like to be at the start of the career,” he explained.
“We all have idols and heroes… I would be very nervous meeting someone who I admired, so I understand sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming. But everyone seems pretty cool.
“I guess maybe I’m not the only driver they’ve met before – there’s a lot of F1 fans here.
“I think just to have someone that you want to try and obviously look up to and someone that can inspire you… if I’m able to sprinkle a tiny bit of inspiration or motivation today by being here and having a chat to a few kids, that’s awesome. That’s something I know I appreciated when I was eight, nine, 10 years old.”
Formula 1 continues on July 4-6 at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.
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