11/08/2025 20:00
Daniel Ricciardo has reflected on the journey of "self-exploration"
he has embarked on during his first full year away from F1, an
experience that has already included an unorthodox "bonus". The
eight-time grand prix winner, who was relieved of his duties by RB
after the Singapore Grand Prix last season, is now firmly settled
into retirement and appears to be enjoying his time away from the
race track. Speaking at Ray White's Connect conference , which the
Australian headlined, he explained how he has spent some of his
time hiking. The 35-year-old playfully recalled visiting Alaska
recently and how he managed to navigate the trip to the state
without being "mauled by a grizzly" bear. "Well, I haven't been
shaving my face," joked Riccardo, who is affectionately nicknamed
the Honey Badger. "The beard is my comfort right now. "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." A voyage of self-discovery After making his F1 debut
with HRT in 2011, Ricciardo spent 14 seasons racing in the
championship, reaching his peak whilst at Red Bull. He claimed
seven of his eight victories with the Milton Keynes-based team
before moving on to Renault and later McLaren. After being dropped
by the Woking squad for compatriot Oscar Piastri at the end of
2022, he competed in two part-seasons with Red Bull's second team,
now Racing Bulls. Despite his waning powers and limited success in
later years, Ricciardo saw his star soar with the advent of the
Netflix docu-series Drive to Survive . Already a popular figure in
F1, it turned him into a household name. However, since being
replaced by Liam Lawson, he has seldom been in the public eye and
also been afforded to chance to set sail on a voyage of
self-discovery. "I've been trying to figure out who I am other than
this race car driver," he explained. "I've come to appreciate the
little things more and the meaning of the importance of family and
friends. "I've always been driven, and that sometimes leads you to
being selfish, so I'm trying to learn to be a bit more selfless and
become a better listener." Looking back on what first drew him to
motorsport, Ricciardo said he always wanted to do something that
"scared" him. "Childhood was great," Ricciardo said. "I was always
driven to do something that scared me a bit. "The reason I got into
racing was because no one was really doing it. It was my chance to
do something a little bit cooler than everyone else. "I was just
showing off, but showing off has got me to a really good place in
life."
