Daniel Ricciardo opens up on 'hiding from the humiliation' after F1 axe

Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he spent months "hiding from the humiliation" after his shock F1 exit in 2024.

The Australian star enjoyed a terrific career at the highest level of motorsport as he claimed eight Grand Prix victories - seven of them during a glorious run at Red Bull.

The end of his career though came as a crushing blow to the man known for always having a smile on his face. The axe eventually fell after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix when he was released by Racing Bulls and replaced by Kiwi Liam Lawson.

Ricciardo had never again reach the heights he scaled at Red Bull in subsequent spells with Renault, McLaren and then in that finale with Racing Bulls. He has admitted before that he was almost relieved when the end arrived.

The aftermath of his release though brought anything but relief - in fact he says he spent months dealing with pain, sadness and humiliation.

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Dealing with the 'pain and sadness' after F1 exit

Speaking to Tom Clarkson on F1's Beyond The Grid podcast, the now 37-year-old admitted: “Over the years you build like I guess a ruthlessness, but that also is inward as well - you can be very harsh on yourself and expect a lot from yourself.

“So I think, let’s say failing - or that was my view of it, not performing to the level I needed to at the time or not being able to finish out the season - it’s then a sense of humiliation. I failed and I didn’t do what I once could.

“So trying to deal with that those next few months let’s say, I understood it as I was just hiding from the humiliation and if people saw me out in public I was ‘hahaha’ and having a good time and having a drink or whatever.

“I was just really hiding what I really felt deep inside which was a lot of pain and sadness - and s***, it’s gone. It was once this kid that was hoping to fight for a world title and obviously winning races. Now it’s like oh, it’s gone."

Ricciardo can now look back with pride

Now, two years on from that awful moment in his life, Ricciardo says he is able to look back on his 257-race F1 career with different feelings. Infinitely more positive feelings.

“I’m very proud. In the aftermath of everything I used the word failure and humiliation and these things, and I appreciate that a lot of the stuff I’ve said probably feels very negative or heavy.

“But now that I’m out of that, and being able to understand more life and a lot of things around it, I look back actually now with much more of a smile than I did a couple of years ago.”

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