Daniel Ricciardo revealed that he only realized the extreme level of demand in Formula 1 after leaving the category. The Australian stated that, after years living inside the paddock, he began to see the intense routine faced by drivers during race weekends as ‘far from normal’.
Ricciardo ended his Formula 1 career after the 2024 Singapore GP, when he left VCARB (now Racing Bulls), the team with which he shared the garage with Yuki Tsunoda. The Australian had a thirteen-season career in the category, with his most successful period happening at Red Bull Racing.
Now away from the daily F1 environment, Ricciardo said he completely changed his view about the routine he had during the years in the category. According to him, the intensity of the calendar ended up becoming something common while he was still competing: “I stayed in the Formula 1 bubble for a long time. I got used to how intense the schedule was, the paddock, all of that, and that became normal,” he told Speed Street.
The former driver explained that only after leaving the tracks did he realize how extreme the lifestyle demanded by the category was: “But now that I’m out of it, I think: ‘Wow, that was far from normal.’ The schedule was controlled down to the last minute,” he added.
Even retired from Formula 1, Ricciardo remains present at major motorsport events. The Australian will be at the next edition of the Indianapolis 500 to promote his wine brand alongside driver Conor Daly.
During the conversation, Ricciardo also showed curiosity to compare the Indy routine with that experienced in Formula 1. The Australian said he wants to understand how drivers in the traditional American category deal with pressure and balance between professional commitments and personal moments.
“There is a curiosity about what the week is like for you at the biggest race of the year,” he told Daly. “I want to understand what the schedule is like, personal time compared to work moments, as well as know if the drivers are more relaxed or if they spend the entire weekend totally focused and intense,” Ricciardo concluded.
