The last time Daniel Ricciardo was absent from the F1 grid following his run with McLaren, his hopeful fans were quickly rewarded with his return when he replaced Nick DeVries at RB. But following Ricciardo's unceremonious exit from the grid in the middle of the 2024 season, hopes for his eventual return may need to wane, as it appears he may have hung up his racing boots for good.
Over 13 years, the Australian driver racked up a series of iconic victories, namely his Monaco win in 2018 and Monza in 2021 — while becoming one of the biggest names in global motorsport along the way. His megawatt smile and laid back attitude won’t be forgotten by fans or the paddock anytime soon, but his breakup with the series leaves the 35-year-old facing a possible career change. Setting boots and helmets aside, and considering his other projects and interests in the works, what could be on the horizon for the former F1 driver?
Hollywood
Ricciardo is already making strides to break into tinseltown with his Hulu-backed comedy, titled Downforce. The series, which is currently in testing, centers on an heiress to a racing dynasty after she is thrust back into the family business and forced to make difficult choices about her team's success. The half-hour scripted show has been pitched as Entourage set in the F1 paddock, with Alec Berg and Adam Countee — the duo behind HBO's Silicon Valley — writing the series.
Ricciardo is executive producing the show, but if he wants to try his hand at another project, perhaps one that takes him in front of the camera, he won’t be short on opportunities. The Perth native is repped by powerhouse talent agency CAA, which boasts an enviable client roster spanning Oscar winners, Super Bowl Champions and almost everyone in between. He most recently flexed his acting chops when he teamed up with his pal, Bills quarterback Josh Allen (a fellow CAA client), on an elaborate Beats promo comprised of a short film and unique merch line. He's also continued to lean into that friendship, and his love for the Bills, after leaving the F1 grid.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ricciardo further leaned into his love for American sports in his next career move. While he’s certainly cemented himself as an Aussie sporting hero over the years [see: the shoey], he’s just as equally aligned himself with the US while racing in Texas over the past decade. Some might argue he’s even become a defacto American for the millions of new fans from the States who discovered the distinctly European sport during the pandemic and needed a driver to root for.
Fashion
Once he was an established racing figure in the paddock, like many F1 drivers, Ricciardo launched a personal merch line. However, he proved just how serious he was about the threads when he rebranded from RIC3 to Enchante and began releasing thoughtful, limited-edition drops beloved by fans. The uber-successful brand is backed by Harry Styles’ pal, Xander Ritz’s company, The Loyalist, and has been available to purchase online as well as multiple pop-ups, most recently in New York City. Of course time will tell, but it seems Ricciardo has built a strong enough fan base that sales aren’t contingent on his presence in F1.
As for his foray into high fashion, we saw him attend the 2023 Met Gala in a tailored Thom Browne suit. Though he was gracious about having the opportunity to walk the steps of the Met, Ricciardo was quick to admit that haute couture wasn’t exactly his style. If I were a betting woman, I’d say he’ll be leaving that sector to Lewis Hamilton for the most part.
Music
Ricciardo has long professed his deep love for music while admitting in the same breath that he has very little musical talent (relatable). If you’ve listened to any of his long-form interviews and podcasts through the years, the driver often mentions music as a passion he’d like to explore in a post-F1 world, however his vision for what that is looks to be a bit vague.
I don’t have a crystal ball, of course, but I predict he could take a nontraditional path within the music industry. Perhaps he’ll own a venue or get into the live events space rather than create music of his own, but I’d also bet that it's a slightly longer-term plan and we’ll see him try his hand at a few other things first.
Wine
If you aren’t actively seeking it out, you might not even realize that Ricciardo has a partnership with the wine brand, St Hugo, and his own wine, DR3. Promotion has leaned quite heavily on the Australian market where the product is sold in one of the nation’s biggest liquor stores, but it can also be purchased online.
Unlike George Clooney’s tequila brand, Casamigos, which was able to stand on its own without the A-lister, the DR3 portfolio of wines relies heavily on Ricciardo himself promoting the product, so he’ll have to continue to lean in should he want to pursue the wine business. I’d rank this category pretty low in terms of the likelihood that we’ll see Ricciardo rebrand as a sommelier anytime soon.
IndyCar, NASCAR, or another racing series
It’s bittersweet to admit, but I think there’s a good chance Ricciardo has hung up his entire racing kit for good, which means it's unlikely he'll be chasing the dream in any other series.
Ricciardo has told reporters (including me, on the occasions I’ve interviewed him) that he has several passions outside of racing, and likely wouldn’t head to another series post-F1 purely to continue driving. If you take a look at his social media channels, he has been spending time on two wheels with Aussie motocross stars Hunter and Jett Lawrence, so it’s possible he doesn’t feel the need to compete to get that fix. Of course, there’s always the chance he’ll make a one-off appearance at the likes of Le Mans, but if you’re holding out for a NASCAR announcement, you could be waiting a while... or forever.
Commentary
As evidenced by Tom Brady in the NFL, the best athletes don’t always make the best commentators. Yet, someone like Jolyon Palmer, who had an entirely unremarkable F1 career, has gone on to become one of the sport’s best pundits. I would love to see Ricciardo in front of the camera in some capacity because he’s such a fantastic personality, but history tells us that this doesn’t appear to be his strongest suit (see: his unsuccessful foray into commentary with ESPN at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix).
Given Ricciardo’s strengths lie in his effervescent charm and his ability to put people at ease, I could see him inking a deal with a network that would allow him to dip into several different sports in some capacity, making him a broader media personality rather than a pure F1 pundit.
