Former Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has described the painful lows of the sport, noting that there are 'a lot of days that hurt.' The Australian shared these reflections after retiring from F1 following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo retired from Formula 1 after being let go by Racing Bulls at the end of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Over 14 seasons with teams including Red Bull, he achieved eight grand prix victories and 32 podium finishes across more than 250 starts. Ricciardo expressed reluctance to dwell on disappointments but acknowledged their reality in an interview with Ford CEO Jim Farley. 'What goes up must come down. And there are a lot of days that hurt,' he said. 'There are a lot of days where you're frustrated and there's so much that's out of your control.' He highlighted his low success rate, with only eight wins from over 250 races, calling the good days 'few and far between.' Ricciardo noted that the rarity of success makes the highs even greater. Winning a grand prix brought a 'powerful' feeling, like a 'superpower' for that moment as the best in the world at a single task, filled with rush, pride and strength, yet grounding. Following his F1 exit, Ricciardo has taken on the role of global ambassador for Ford Racing.
