01/07/2025 15:00
Daniel Ricciardo has offered a life update on his first trackside
appearance following his exit from the F1 grid. Ricciardo departed
the field at the conclusion of the Singapore Grand Prix last year,
having endured a challenging stint with the RB team. The Australian
has kept a low-profile ever since, but recently travelled to
Buckmore Park for the latest round of the Daniel Ricciardo Series -
a karting competition held across the United Kingdom. Ricciardo
asserted he is taking enjoyment from having life away from the F1
spotlight. "All good!" said Ricciardo. "I'm just enjoying some life
in the slow lane. "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. "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. "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's appearance at the track gave
an opportunity for the young karters to meet the former F1 driver.
The eight-time grand prix winner stated it took him back to a time
when he was competing at the junior level and having the
opportunity to meet figures he admired. "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."
