Daniel Ricciardo has "thanked the lord" for no longer having to undergo gruelling F1 neck training in his retirement.
The Australian last raced in F1 in the 2024 Singapore GP, and has kept a relatively low profile since, but was in Austin across the United States GP weekend, and held a WhatsApp group watchalong with some fans as Max Verstappen won to further reduce Oscar Piastri's points lead to 40.
When a question about his own potential comeback was raised, Ricciardo ruled it out with a quip about his neck strength.
"My neck ain’t so strong anymore, haha," he said as part of the WhatsApp watchalong.
"[There is] no more neck training, thank the lord, haha, I hated that part.
“And the neck, it’s so intense that first sector [of the Austin lap].
As for a comeback, Ricciardo now officially counts himself as retired, moving into a global ambassador role for Ford Racing.
"While my racing days are behind me, my love for anything with wheels will always remain high," he said at the time of the announcement.
"For that, I am proud to be partnering with Ford to become a Global Ford Racing Ambassador."
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