Ex-F1 star Daniel Ricciardo shares respect for Indy 500: 'It scares me'

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed his respect for IndyCar drivers, conceding that the Indianapolis 500 “scares the s*** out of me”.

Ricciardo retired from Formula 1 after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, when he was replaced by Liam Lawson at RB, now Racing Bulls.

Ahead of a visit to the upcoming 110th running of the Indy 500, Ricciardo appeared on driver Conor Daly’s Speed Street podcast, and addressed the common claim that F1 has the best drivers in the world – a statement that doesn’t always land well in other paddocks.

“There was never a discussion like, ‘we’re the best, F1 is this, we’re up here’,” said the eight-time grand prix winner.

“As a kid, sure, for me, F1 was where I wanted to be. And I was a fan of [Ayrton] Senna and all that growing up. So that was kind of a big part of what I wanted to do.

“But it was never like, ‘we’re here, and everyone else is there’. Again, I think when you get to a level, you know what’s involved in racing. Even karting. To freaking win a kart race is hard. And there’s just so much that goes into it.

“There’s definitely not a ‘we’re cooler than you guys’. There’s none of that. At least I never experienced that.

“I think we all kind of just ultimately love racing. And you guys do a very different discipline, especially obviously the oval stuff compared to the circuit racing we do with a ton of downforce and all that. But it’s different, what you guys do.

“I’ve said it for many years, it scares the s*** out of me. It’s freaking awesome.”

Ricciardo’s racing excitement returns

Ricciardo has been open in the fact that he needed time away from racing following the conclusion of his F1 career, with the need for “self-exploration” to “figure out who I am other than this race car driver”.

Seemingly on the path to answers and in an improved mindset, Ricciardo said of his Indianapolis visit: “I’ve probably never been more excited since I was a kid to go to a race and just be a fan of a race,” Ricciardo said.

“I went to Daytona for the first time at the end of last year and even that, you know, I watched that race my whole life and I knew the banking would be cool.

“I was like, man, some things you just have to see. You just have to physically see it. And I think that’s how I feel with the Indy 500.

“I have an idea of what it will be like. I’ve been around racing my whole life, but there will still be things that are just going to blow me away.”