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Daniel Ricciardo has offered a rare update on life after his F1 retirement, expressing that he is in no rush to jump into new projects and is instead "enjoying this pace of life". The eight-time Grand Prix winner called time on his racing career after he was dropped by Racing Bulls (formerly VCARB) during the 2024 campaign.

Initially, after losing his seat on the grid, the 36-year-old was linked with the new Cadillac squad, but after distancing himself from an F1 return, it became clear that the 'Honey Badger' would not return to motorsport in a full-time capacity.

Since then, Ricciardo has been largely absent from the public eye, enjoying time with friends and family and making occasional appearances at sporting events. He has also taken on a new ambassador role with Ford, working on the Ford Racing project.

"What is next for me is really just enjoying this pace of life I'm living now," Ricciardo told GQ Sports. "It took me a little while to adjust from retirement, but now I'm finding, let's say, my pace and my happiness.

"And with Ford and being the ambassador for them, it's a way to still stay in racing, in motorsport, in the automotive world, but without the pressure that I put on myself for many years. So, that's a nice balance that I'm very happy with."

Ricciardo has been enjoying the change of pace. Since quitting F1, the Perth-born racer has enhanced his Enchante clothing line, launched his own wine, and visited several sporting events, including Wimbledon and NFL fixtures.

"Life has changed a lot, but it's been good," he added. "I've had a lot of time to myself, time to grow a beard, doing things that I didn't really get a chance to do when I was racing and travelling so much, and that's a lot of time with family and friends. So [I've] enjoyed it a lot, getting to put a lot of miles on my [Ford] Raptor."

Ricciardo's legacy will continue in F1, too. In 2026, close friend and four-time world champion Max Verstappen will drive with the former Red Bull and Renault man's No.3, after losing the rights to the No.1 to newly-crowned champion Lando Norris.

Discussing the number transfer, Ricciardo said: "It's good. I got to see Max recently. The number three thing is quite cool. It's a cool story for us and also fans of F1 who supported Max and I when we were teammates.

"So when I caught up with Max in Austin and when he mentioned he wanted to take number 3, of course I was very, very happy to say yes, because otherwise I think he would have had to wait one more year. It's a pleasure for me to pass that number on to him now."