Daniel Ricciardo has opened up about his adjustment to life away from the Formula 1 grid, admitting that stepping back from the intense calendar has allowed his day-to-day life to feel "a little more real."
The eight-time grand prix winner retired from F1 after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, when he was replaced at Racing Bulls by Liam Lawson.
Now, the Australian is enjoying the simple pleasures of a more settled routine outside of the paddock.
Speaking recently about this new phase in his life on Conor Daly's Speed Street podcast, Ricciardo explained: "I'm enjoying just the slower pace of life and ultimately being able to be in one place.
"Literally just the little things. Even back home, I can actually spend a real bit of time in Australia, spend it with family, friends, all that. Just things that if you have it, you definitely take it for granted. And deep down, I always missed it. I always missed being a kid, hanging out with friends and going to birthdays.
"I would get home over Christmas, and I would always rush and try and do 100 things at once because time is limited, but when you're rushing things, it doesn't really feel real.
Daniel Ricciardo Global Ford Racing Ambassador (1)
"It's kind of like a bit of a movie. So now life feels a little more real."
While Ricciardo is enjoying the quieter things in life, he still manages to get behind the wheel of various Ford machinery as a brand ambassador for the American powerhouse. He has been seen off-roading in the Ford Raptor T1+ and was also part of the 2026 Ford launch event with Red Bull Racing.
Aside from having fun with his brand ambassadorship role, he also runs his Enchanté brand, which has just announced a collaboration with Daly for the upcoming Indianapolis 500 called the Enchanté 500.
While the theory of Mercedes' Formula 1 title favouritism ahead of the dawn of the championship's latest era has been proven correct, the name at the top of the drivers' standings is somewhat of a surprise.
Many would have believed that George Russell would be the man to beat given his performances with the Silver Arrows during what was a barren period in the ground-effect years between 2022 and 2025, especially with the pre-conceived ideas of dominance with the new power units largely realised across the first four races of the 2026 campaign.
But Kimi Antonelli has been outstanding in just his second season in F1, leading the charge for the title by 20 points with three wins to his name. Russell, on the other hand, has been out of sorts since winning the first round in Australia.
And with similarities beginning to show between 2025 and the current campaign, can Russell look to Lando Norris' maiden title triumph for inspiration?
Lando Norris struggles as 'inexperienced' team-mate shines
For 2025, McLaren entered the year as the favourite after a barnstorming end to 2024 that saw continuous development from a disastrous year prior push Norris chase down Max Verstappen for the title late in the season, albeit ultimately missing out to the Dutchman.
The Briton began with a win in Australia to underline his position as favourite, leading from pole position to take the early advantage. But for the majority of the opening half of the season, things began to unravel.
A particularly rocky spell was accentuated by struggles at the Bahrain Grand Prix four races in, where Norris was a gulf behind team-mate Oscar Piastri, who was racking up the points with multiple victories at the start of his third campaign.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Round three in Japan before the Middle Eastern stay saw Verstappen provide respite for Red Bull in what was a tough start for the reigning champion, breaking the dominance displayed by McLaren in the opening stages.
It took Norris until round eight at Monaco before he would get his second victory of the season, with just two more coming before the summer break.
But after a DNF in Zandvoort upon the sport's return to action, Norris found the upper hand on Piastri as the Australian slipped into a malaise of his own.
Matters were complicated by Red Bull and Verstappen's resurgence in the second part of the season, the Dutchman taking the fight all the way to the final race of the year in Abu Dhabi before Norris wrapped up his crown. But ultimately, Norris had weathered his personal storm early on to eventually topple Piastri in what was mostly an intra-team battle for honours.
How 2026 is mirroring 2025
Russell finds himself in a similar position after four rounds this term.
A convincing victory from pole in Australia matched pre-season expectations but since then, it has been far from pleasant reading for Russell, comfortably outperformed by Antonelli in China, Japan and - to a much greater extent - Miami.
Much like Norris, Russell has had to wait for his chance for the title after undergoing an extensive F1 education in underperforming machinery, but faces being usurped by a new, younger team-mate.
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
McLaren, much like Red Bull last year, had struggles of its own in the first two races but came to the fore in Japan, though Piastri's ability to replicate Verstappen's win at Suzuka was taken away by an ill-timed safety car - though Antonelli's pace was threatening in any case.
Norris continued that improved form for the Papaya squad into Miami, yet had no answer on grand prix Sunday for the Italian's speed - while Russell couldn't feature in the race for the podium.
Now, Russell must look to Norris' own turnaround last year as proof that not all is lost. With 18 rounds still remaining, the 20-point gap is relatively minuscule. Yet, the form shown thus far will be of concern for Russell.
McLaren could be a thorn in Mercedes' side as the season progresses - as could Ferrari and Red Bull for that matter - so it's not a carbon copy of 2025 in that there are more variables that could intervene to prevent a Mercedes-only party.
There is also the impact of the heightened development race at the start of the cycle of the new regulation set that could flip the form order upside down across the campaign - though Mercedes was the only outfit of the front-running four not to add a major upgrade package in Miami and could put distance over its rivals with its anticipated add-ons in Canada.
But with that as a threat, it is imperative that Russell finds his form quickly. A strong result in Montreal would stop the bleeding, provide a momentum kick, remind Antonelli that the Briton is on his tail and quickly stop any difficult lines of questioning in the media.
An extended winless run could be enough for Antonelli to stretch into an unassailable lead even before the summer break, taking any pressure off the teenager's shoulders that could come into play if a title battle becomes tense later in the year. Russell must at least position himself in such a way to create an uncomfortable run-in for his team-mate.
The question of which car defined a driver's career tends to produce diplomatic answers. Two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi doesn't need to be diplomatic. Speaking on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, the Brazilian got straight to it: the Lotus 72 was the finest machine he ever sat in.
"The Lotus 72, to me, was the best car I ever drove in my career," he confirmed. "From the cars I drove, the Lotus 72, all this year with Colin [Chapman], we developed the car, changing suspension geometry, downforce, wings.
"But it was always an incredible car to drive. I would come to the paddock, look to him, he looked to me, and we got together; it was an extension of my body.
"It was a fantastic car. Colin was a genius, and he had the intuition to set up a car. And I remember Colin used to put his two fingers here when I talked about the car, and it came as the right solution. It was amazing because there was no telemetry there, it was just what I was feeling, telling Colin, and then Colin getting to the point and improving the car. It was a fantastic car."
There was limited data at this point, no simulations or telemetry, just a driver describing what he felt in the seat to Chapman, and Chapman translating that into a mechanical change the next morning.
"After the first year, we had a very good relationship," he said when asked if he developed similar relationships at McLaren to his relationship with Chapman. "Gordon Coppuck was the chief engineer. He was extremely good, very dedicated. He did a fantastic car. I mean, the M23 was an incredible car. It was a simpler car, a more conventional car than the Lotus.
"Lotus had the torsion bars that were difficult to work with at the proper angle. We were all the time working, and McLaren was a more conventional car, but we had three wheelbases. We had a long wheelbase, we had a mid-wheelbase, and the short wheelbase for Monaco, for the short circuits.
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
"And there was another good work for McLaren for logistics. We changed the weight distribution, a higher percentage of weight on the front for the short circuits. I mean, we had a lot of pre-race study from each track - more than Lotus would do - to adapt the M23 to different tracks, different characteristics for the whole year, and that was Alastair Caldwell and Gordon Coppuck."
The Lotus 72 made its racing debut at the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix and was seen as an incredible piece of engineering. Inspired by the Lotus 56, it boasted better aerodynamics and a higher top speed despite using the same Cosworth engine.
Jochen Rindt was on course to win the 1970 championship when he was killed in a qualifying crash at Monza. His replacement, Fittipaldi, won the US Grand Prix, helping Rindt become F1's only posthumous world champion.
Ahead of the progress shown in Miami, the opening weeks of the 2026 season had not been easy for Red Bull. While the new power unit surprised some of its rivals in the paddock, the picture on the chassis and aero side initially proved underwhelming.
Moreover, news emerged that Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s right-hand man and also Red Bull’s Head of Racing, will leave the team for McLaren in 2028. His departure fits into a broader trend of key figures leaving the team, something team boss Laurent Mekies openly acknowledged in Miami.
When Red Bull’s current engine partner Ford returned to Formula 1, Ford Performance director Mark Rushbrook emphasised that the American manufacturer likes to apply a similar approach across all championships it takes part in: not a works team, but joining forces with the best teams in a given racing series.
Since that announcement, however, quite a lot has changed at Red Bull, raising the question of how Ford now views the state of the team.
“I think Red Bull showed their character, what the team is capable of, many times through history,” Rushbrook said during an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
“Let’s take last year as an example. Everybody counted them out of the championship, and look how close it was in the end and what they were able to achieve in that. So that was just a demonstration again of what they are capable of.”
Despite the technical regulations now being completely different, that gives Ford confidence for the current season and the years ahead.
“It's the same thing here. A lot of people are saying, well, Red Bull is behind. And sure, that's what we've seen on track so far, but we're not discouraged by that. If anything, collectively we're energised by that because Red Bull and Ford want to be racing at the front.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Ford got reassurances from Red Bull about Lambiase’s departure
Besides the regulations, the personnel changes form a second factor. In addition to Lambiase, the team has already had to replace Rob Marshall, Jonathan Wheatley, Adrian Newey, Will Courtenay, besides Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
It raises the question of how many departures a team can absorb altogether, but Rushbrook says he is not immediately worried on that front either.
“They've got the right people, the right culture. And even with personnel changes, I know that creates a lot of excitement in the media and maybe other places, but I think that's part of the sport,” he said.
“Not that we necessarily wanted to see any of those people go, but it’s about how you react to that.”
According to the American, the latter is more important than the departures themselves: how does the team ultimately deal with them?
“There's always some concern when you see somebody leaving. Why are they leaving? What does it actually mean to the team?,” he added.
“So it's not that it's not important, but you react to those things, just like anything else in racing, or even in life. When things happen, it's all about how you react to them and stay strong.”
Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing
Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing
In Lambiase’s case, Red Bull still has some time to think about succession planning. Moreover, there appeared to be little chance for the Milton Keynes-based team to keep him on board for longer. Verstappen even said that, considering McLaren’s offer, he “would have been an idiot” if he had tried to keep Lambiase at Red Bull.
Verstappen revealed that the race engineer had spoken to him long before the announcement, and according to Rushbrook, Red Bull did exactly the same with Ford as a partner. Asked whether the American company received certain reassurances regarding how Red Bull will handle this next departure, he replied: “Yes, exactly, for sure.”
“Would hate to see Max go, but wouldn’t change our commitment to F1”
Besides all the aforementioned team members, there is another variable that seems to return every year: Verstappen’s own future.
The four-time world champion has been vocal about the regulations during the opening months of 2026 and added in Miami that his views on the rules have not changed because of Red Bull’s recent progress. Moreover, he said that he wants to take his time regarding the “life choices” he referred to in Japan.
“I completely understand the driver's perspective and Max's perspective,” Rushbrook responded. “The drivers, they're the ones in the car and dealing with the technology and how it impacts the racing.”
“But we've seen that the sport is willing to talk about those issues internally amongst the teams and to react to it, and take steps to address it. I think as long as the sport is willing to do that and that we do address those things together, then hopefully everybody is happy and they stay in the sport.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
“Nobody wants to see Max leave or any of the current drivers, because they are part of the personality of the sport. So we want them to be happy, we want them engaged and excited about the racing that they're doing, because that makes the fans even more excited about it.”
But should Verstappen leave after all — either by switching from Red Bull to another team or by leaving F1 altogether — Rushbrook stresses that Ford’s position would not change: “We came to Formula 1 to be in Formula 1 and we chose Red Bull because of who they are as a team, as a culture, not any single individual.
“And again, we love Max, we love the fact that he's racing in a Red Bull Ford powered vehicle. We would hate to see him leave, but that wouldn't change our commitment to the sport.”
2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button has praised Lando Norris for speaking openly about mental health.
While reflecting on his own career in the championship, Button detailed how every driver is "flawed" and "insecure", which he argued could be seen in some of Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari radio messages.
"As drivers, we're flawed. We are insecure," Button told Tom Clarkson during an appearance on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast. "And I'll go for any driver. When I heard Lewis Hamilton on the radio last year in the Ferrari, when he asks a question, they don't come back to him, and he's like, 'Have I done something wrong?' You're a seven-time world champion. The confidence you should have is out of this world, but insecurities creep in.
"You forget what you've achieved, and you just think about that last session. You're like, 'I'm not good enough.' You know, 'I was two-tenths behind my team-mate.' It's crazy. And the pressure you put yourself under, it's enormous.
"And that's why you see so many drivers fail in the sport even though they have the talent. Mentally, they're just in a really dark place. And I've heard it from many drivers. We think of it as a weakness, so we don't talk about it, and that's what amazed me with Lando. The way he's been outspoken over the last couple of years on mental health. Really, really good. And I think that gives you a lot of strength."
Norris was very open about his mental health battles during his championship fight against his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. After clinching the title, he spoke to Sky Sports News about the importance of speaking to a psychologist throughout the season.
“Very,” he said when asked about the significance of a psychologist to his championship fight.
Jenson Button
Jenson Button
“When you look at the end of the season, two points were all I needed, you know? There are plenty of places that I could have got more points. There’s also plenty of places I could have lost more points, and it’s hard to quantify, ‘Did this one meeting help you get this many points?’
“You don’t really know this thing, because it’s just a collection of work, and you go through everything, ‘Is this going to help you potentially do a better job?’
“If it’s a yes, you’ve got to do as many of those different things as you can. Certainly, working with a psychologist and different people in many different areas all played a part.
“How much? Very difficult to know. But did it make me perform better? Did it allow me to get wins in the second half of the season and have that run, which I would say effectively got me the championship in the end? Yes.
“So every small piece can add up and make a big difference.”
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