“Didn’t get mauled”: Daniel Ricciardo opens up on his life after F1 exit

The former F1 racing driver Daniel Ricciardo has opened up about his life after exiting the sport. In line with this, he has shed light on things he has been up to and the different experiences that he has had.

During his career in the pinnacle of motorsport, Daniel Ricciardo competed in 257 Grand Prix and managed to amass eight Grand Prix wins, 32 podiums, and three pole positions. His last outing came at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, driving for Red Bull's junior team, Racing Bulls.

Since then, he has stayed away from the limelight of F1, and quite recently, he headlined Ray White’s Connect conference (Gold Coast, August 2025), where he shed light on his life after bringing the curtain down on his F1 career. In line with this, he added the following:

"Well, I haven’t been shaving my face. This year has been a bit of self-exploration. I lived this crazy high-speed life for so long and this year I’ve sat into a little bit of stillness. 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." Via Planet F1.

"I’ve been trying to figure out who I am other than this race car driver. I’ve come to appreciate the little thing more and the meaning of the importance of family and friends."

In his final F1 campaign (2024), Daniel Ricciardo, who is popularly known as the Honey Badger, was able to amass 12 points in the drivers' standings.

Cadillac's stance on the prospect of Daniel Ricciardo for 2026

The 2026 season will mark the dawn of a new era in the pinnacle of motorsport with the incoming regulations, and it will also see the arrival of an 11th team on the grid. Cadillac is set to make its debut next year under the leadership of team principal Graeme Lowdon.

In line with this, Lowdon was asked a month back about potentially having Daniel Ricciardo as one of Cadillac's drivers for next year. As a response, he added the following:

"I think he has publicly said that he is not interested in Formula 1. It is not my job that if I need to convince someone, then it is the wrong person. You never need to convince a Formula 1 driver to jump in the car, and everyone can make their own mind up, but I would definitely not [want to convince someone to return]."

While Cadillac does not see Ricciardo as a potential driver, the outfit has been in regular talks with the 10-time Grand Prix winner and Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas. They've also been in touch with the former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.