Daniel Ricciardo may no longer be racing in Formula 1, but his presence is still strong in the Australian Grand Prix paddock.

A jaunt through the garage area at Albert Park this weekend will show plenty of signs of the former Australian F1 driver, including his merchandise and even a wine shop.

Daniel Ricciardo’s presence lingers in Formula 1

Since he joined up with HRT in 2011, Daniel Ricciardo has been a familiar face in the Formula 1 paddock, but this year, things look a little different.

After the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, the Australian driver was dropped from VCARB, the Red Bull Racing junior team that has gone by Racing Bulls, AlphaTauri, and Toro Rosso in recent years.

Ricciardo had been re-signed to the junior team in 2023, several years after departing Red Bull Racing for what he hoped were greener pastures at Renault and McLaren. Neither move proved to be particularly fruitful, cycling Ricciardo back to the team with which he spent some of his formative years in Formula 1.

Even though Ricciardo hasn’t been personally present in the paddock of late, Sky Sports made a point of highlighting all the ways his influence still lingers.

“He might not be with us anymore, but we do miss him,” Ted Kravitz said as he explored the grounds at Albert Park, “but Daniel Ricciardo has his own stand selling his wine and his merchandise.

“So here in spirit, enchanté to Daniel Ricciardo!”

Enchanté is Ricciardo’s clothing line, which began life as a company named Ric3. He’s also had some forays into the wine industry, beginning the the DR3 line in partnership with St. Hugo Winery. He has recently dropped a rosé wine for the summer — all of which appears to be available for fans to purchase at Albert Park.

“How much do you think we miss him?” Kravitz mused. “The first Australian Grand Prix that we’ve had for quite a while without Daniel Ricciardo.”

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When Daniel Ricciardo lost his ride at McLaren heading into the 2023 season, he was still an active presence in the Formula 1 paddock thanks to his role as a Red Bull Racing reserve driver. The Australian was on hand to provide advice or feedback to the team during a race weekend, and to engage in off-track promotional activities, and that meant he was an easy replacement for the outgoing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.

This time, things look different. After being released from his contract with VCARB after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo has put some distance between himself and the sport of Formula 1.

The Australian has not made an appearance in the paddock since his departure from the sport, though he organized pop-ups in key Grand Prix locales in 2024. There, he sold merchandise from his clothing line, Enchanté, and called in for a virtual meet and greet.

Though Ricciardo’s name has been linked to various projects like Cadillac’s Formula 1 team, the driver denied having interest in joining the outfit, telling a fan, “I’m done.”

Still, Ricciardo’s name has remained closely associated with Formula 1, and as the activations in the Australian Grand Prix paddock prove, fans are still keen to keep up with him.

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