Daniel Ricciardo spent the months after his mid-season axing from Racing Bulls hiding from what he calls "failure and humiliation." The eight-time race winner told F1's Beyond The Grid podcast he felt crushed watching his career end abruptly in Singapore, unable to finish the 2024 season or reclaim the form that once made him a Monaco and Monza victor. The public saw him smiling at bars; inside, he was nursing pain over a title fight that never materialized and a skillset he felt he'd lost.
But the Australian now sees Racing Bulls' decision as a mercy. He admits he might never have walked away on his own—he'd nearly quit after Monaco 2022 and Silverstone 2015, then talked himself back each time. "Would I keep doing it?" he asks. "That's a scary thought." The forced exit gave him permission to step off the treadmill. He's not chasing another series yet, but he's traded the shame for pride. Twenty drivers on the grid, eight wins, and he was one of them. That lands differently now than it did a year ago.
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