The Australian’s final race came at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, bringing an end to a 13-year spell in which he established himself as one of the championship’s most popular figures.
Ricciardo became a recognisable face during Formula 1’s expansion, which coincided with the success of Drive to Survive.
Ricciardo claimed eight Grand Prix victories and secured another 24 podium finishes, with his strongest performances coming during his time at Red Bull. His triumph at the Monaco Grand Prix stood among the highlights of his career.
However, his departure from Red Bull in pursuit of championship success did not deliver the results he wanted. After moving to McLaren, Ricciardo struggled for consistency, with his only victory for the team arriving at Monza in 2021. McLaren eventually released him as Oscar Piastri joined the team.
Ricciardo subsequently returned to the grid with Racing Bulls, but the second stint proved short-lived. His retirement followed the Singapore race, closing the chapter on his Formula 1 career.
“You start racing at such a young age, and over the years you build a ruthlessness, but that also is inward as well. You know, you can be very harsh on yourself and expect a lot from yourself,” Ricciardo told F1 Beyond the Grid.
“I think that my view of it was [that I was] failing, not performing to the level I needed to at the time or not being able to finish out the season or whatever. It’s then a sense of humiliation, like I failed and I didn’t do what I once could.
“Trying to deal with those next few months, I understood it as me just hiding from the humiliation.
“People saw me out in public. I was having a good time and having a drink or whatever, and I was just really hiding from what I really felt deep inside, which was a lot of pain and sadness.
“You know, I was once this kid who was hoping at least to fight for a world title and obviously win races or whatever, but now it’s like, oh, it’s gone.”
