Daniel Ricciardo makes long-awaited return to the racetrack as Aussie embraces new role

Daniel Ricciardo was back on a racetrack this weekend amid suggestions his Formula One career has come to an end. The Aussie was ditched by VCARB midway through the 2024 season, having failed to impress while driving for Red Bull's sister team.

Ricciardo, now a motorsport veteran, was appearing at a Daniel Ricciardo Series event - a karting tournament that offers competitive racing to drivers aged 11 and over. The former McLaren man admitted it was his first time at a racetrack since he was let go by VCARB after last year's Singapore Grand Prix.

Speaking at the event, he said: "I'm just enjoying some life in the slow lane, it sounds weird saying retirement when I'm 35 years old. But retirement from the world I was living in. So it's cool.

"It's my first time at a racetrack since I guess Singapore, so it's been quite a few months now. It's cool, to see the kids, this is why I started. I've had photos with groups of kids and I can see the friendships they have. These friendships can last a lifetime, my best friend to this day is someone I raced karts with. It's nice to be back at the grassroots and the most pure form of racing."

Ricciardo had previously been touted for a Formula One return with Cadillac, who will take a spot on the grid next year, rumoured to be interested. However, Ricciardo appeared to dismiss that notion at the backend of last year, when he replied "Nah, I'm done," to a question about joining Cadillac.

But that doesn't mean he's done with driving altogether, with Ricciardo having previously been tipped to compete in NASCAR. Formula One pundit Alex Jacques told the Formula For Success podcast: "I think the media work is going to be nailed on for him. I think he'll be back in a Formula One paddock at some point.

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"I suspect he's not going to be able to resist a little bit of NASCAR. He's a massive NASCAR fan. He really does appreciate it and and love that. And I think Netflix would love it if he went from Drive to Survive... they had a series about NASCAR last year. They would love that transition I think for the viewing numbers, sort of like when you get a soap and you get a character come back from having been away for a couple of years."