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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Daniel Ricciardo gives update on F1 ‘retirement', living his best life
Daniel Ricciardo says he is 'enjoying life in the slow lane' for now as he gave an update closing the door on a return to Formula One. The Australian has kept a low profile since he was unceremoniously axed by Racing Bulls at last year's Singapore Grand Prix, bring his 258-race F1 career to an end. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Ricciardo has been enjoying life away from the track and has kept quiet apart from appearances to spruik his successful clothing and wine brands, and fronting a sports betting campaign. He played a game of padel with his good mate Scotty James, Oscar Piastri and George Russell in Monaco recently. The F1 season reaches its halfway point at this weekend's British Grand Prix and the silly season of driver moment will kick into gear during the midseason break. All eyes are on which two drivers are chosen for the new Cadillac team, which is joining F1 in 2026 as the sport's 11th team. The Cadillac-General Motors team is believed to be keen on starting out with a veteran presence of drivers who have been on the grid before. Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas are the current favourites to drive for Cadillac next year, but the American team could take a punt on a US driver or an unproven rookie. Ricciardo remains a hugely popular figure in America and among F1 fans, but he didn't sound like a man desperate for a racing comeback as he gave an update on how retired life is going. 'I'm just enjoying some life in the slow lane,' Ricciardo said. 'I mean, it sounds weird saying like retirement when I'm 35 years old, but retirement from at least the world I was living in. It's cool.' Ricciardo is in the UK at the moment ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and he was spotted soaking in the Day 2 action at Wimbledon on his 36th birthday. The WA native cut a relaxed figure as he watched the tennis at the All England Club, looking content as he enjoyed the day out with his parents Grace and Joe. Ricciardo wants to inspire the next generation of race car drivers through his Daniel Ricciardo Series, where youngsters compete in karting events across the UK. The eight-time F1 race winner attended the latest round of his karting series at Buckmore Park in England last weekend, giving him a different perspective. 'To be at the kart track… it's my first time at a racetrack since I guess Singapore, so quite a few months now,' Ricciardo said. 'But it's cool to see the kids… this is why I started karting. 'I've had photos with groups of the kids and I can tell the friendships they have, and these friendships will last a lifetime a lot of them. 'My best friend to this day was a friend that I raced karts with. It's nice to be back at like the grassroots of it and the most pure form of racing.' Now he is the one getting mobbed by the kids. 'I think now that I'm a bit removed from it and life is not as chaotic, it's nice to remember what it was like to be at the start of the career,' he said. 'We all have idols and heroes… 'I would be very nervous meeting someone who I admired, so I understand sometimes it's a bit overwhelming. But everyone seems pretty cool. I guess maybe I'm not the only driver they've met before – there's a lot of F1 fans here! 'I think just to have someone that you want to try and obviously look up to and someone that can inspire you… if I'm able to sprinkle a tiny bit of inspiration or motivation today by being here and having a chat to a few kids, that's awesome. That's something I know I appreciated when I was eight, nine, 10 years old.' Ricciardo said his advice for any youngster coming through the karting scene was simply to 'go and have fun!'. 'It was always just, 'Go and have fun',' he said. 'It wasn't about trying to impress someone or be someone you're not. 'If you do this you'll be on TV and make money'. It wasn't about that, it was just, 'Go and have fun'. 'It kind of helped me also… like racing is scary, you know? I think it helped me at school have a bit more confidence. Everyone's shy, we all go through things growing up, so I think it kind of gave me confidence in myself as a person, also away from the track. So, that's something I took from it. 'But as far as the driving goes, honestly it was just about me having fun. I was playing with my friends (at the track), we were riding scooters and stuff, and my dad was always dragging me like, 'The kart's on the grid, put your helmet on!' 'The karting was kind of secondary a lot of the time. It was just to be in this environment with friends.' to 15 points with victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Sonny's time: Charting Docker's great AFL journey
Swapping Optus Stadium for the newsroom of The West Australian, Walyalup (Fremantle) legend Michael Walters has taken over the newspaper's sports section for a day. Michael Walters retires as one of the finest players ever to pull on the Fremantle guernsey. The West Australian looks back at his journey from draftee to fan favourite. 7 January 1991 - Michael Walters is born, growing up on the same street in Midvale as fellow AFL draftees Nic Naitanui and Chris Yarran. August 2007 - Wins the Kevin Sheehan Medal (tied with Tom Scully) after kicking 10 goals in three games for WA in the under-16 Championships. 11 July 2008 - Named in the under-18 All-Australian team, having excelled as both a midfielder and a forward. Michael Walters in action during the 2008 NAB AFL Under 18 Championships at Telstra Dome in Melbourne. Credit: Lachlan Cunningham / GSP Images 9 August 2008 - Makes his league WAFL debut against West Perth in a six-point loss. 29 November 2008 - Drafted after just two league WAFL games with pick 53 by Fremantle Dockers. 6 June 2009 - Makes his AFL debut against Port Adelaide, kicking his first goal along with 14 disposals. 4 September 2010 - Plays his first final, kicking a goal as Fremantle defeat Hawthorn. Docker Michael Walters celebrates a goal during the AFL Round 12 match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Geelong Cats at Subiaco. Credit: Daniel Wilkins / The Slattery Media Group 19 September 2010 - Kicks a goal as Swan Districts triumph by one point over Claremont to win their first flag in 20 years. January 2012 - Is banished to the WAFL after failing a skin fold test and told to improve his fitness. 14 July 2012 - Returns in round 16, kicking three goals in a win over the Saints, playing every game for the rest of the season. 10 September 2013 - Named in the inaugural 22 under 22 team. 21 September 2013 - Kicks three goals as Fremantle reach their first-ever grand final against Hawthorn. 28 September 2013 - Kicks two goals from 11 touches in a losing grand final effort to finish with 46 goals from his 21 games and be the club's leading goal kicker. Michael Walters of Fremantle takes a spectacular mark during the 2013 Toyota Grand Final match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Fremantle Dockers at the MCG, Melbourne on September 28, 2013. (Photo: Sean Garnsworthy/AFL Media) Credit: Sean Garnsworthy / AFL Media 13 September 2014 - Reaches 50th game, kicking 3.3 in a losing semifinal against Port Adelaide. 25 September 2015 - Kicks three goals in the preliminary final, taking his tally to 44 goals from 22, to again be the club's leading goal kicker. 28 August 2016 - Wins a second-straight club goal-kicking award with 36 from 22 games. 14 May 2017 - Records a career best 38 touches against Richmond. 2 July 2017 - Kicks a career best 6.2 against St Kilda, but the Dockers fall short by nine points. 29 April 2017 - Reaches game 100 but goes goalless in a derby against West Coast. Michael Walters of the Dockers takes a spectacular mark. Credit: Michael Willson / AFL Media 18 August 2018 - Finishes as the club's leading goal kicker for a fourth time with 22 goals from 18 games. 28 August 2019 - Claims a fifth leading goalkicking award with 40 goals and earns an All-Australian blazer named in the forward line and is made a life member of the club. 11 June 2022 - Kicks 300th goal as the Dockers beat Hawthorn by 13 points. 20 August 2022 - Celebrates game 200 with a win over GWS, kicking three goals and sealing a top-four finish. 25 August 2024 - Plays his final game as a Docker, kicking a behind with four disposals after coming on as a sub in the last round of the season. Michael Walters of the Indigenous All Stars celebrates a goal. Credit: Dylan Burns / AFL Photos 8 February 2025 - Selected as the Indigenous All Stars captain 15 February 2025 - Kicks his last goal, against Fremantle, as the All Stars win by 43 points. 3 July 2025 - Announces immediate retirement with knee issues bringing his career to a close at 239 games and 365 goals.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
NRL 2025: Broncos lose Corey Jensen, Jesse Arthars for Bulldogs clash
The Broncos have been dealt a double blow with Corey Jensen and Jesse Arthars ruled out of the side's trip to Sydney to face the Bulldogs, with coach Michael Maguire backing the recalled Selwyn Cobbo to fire in his first game in a month. Jensen (calf) and Arthars (rib) will miss Friday night's clash, while veteran Ben Hunt is likely to return next week as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. It's a blow for the Broncos who were already without Origin stars Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan, Reece Walsh and Gehamat Shibasaki for next week's decider, but Maguire is confident his forward pack can get the job done. Ben Talty will make his debut off the bench after starting the year playing with North Sydney in the NSW Cup, while journeyman Delouise Hoeter will start his first game since 2023. Ben Talty will make his Broncos debut just weeks after he made the move to Brisbane. Picture: NRL Photos 'Ben Talty has come in here about a month ago and put his head down, and he's going to be on the bench,' Maguire said. 'He reminded me about how special rugby league is. I was able to sit with him yesterday and talk about how he is going to debut. 'The big fella had a few tears and gave me a big squeeze. It gave me a real sense of what it really means to play NRL. 'He has been trying for a long time, so it just goes to show how special it is what our game brings. 'For 'Della' (Hoeter), he has been out for 12 months, so it's another great story.' Maguire backed Shibasaki to handle the pressure on his Origin debut, with the backline changes opening the door for Cobbo to return to the Broncos side for the first time since round 13. Selwyn Cobbo is back in the Broncos side just a week after he signed with the Dolphins. Picture: NRL photos Cobbo was dropped to reserve grade and has subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins after the Broncos were unable to offer him enough money to entice him to stay. Maguire didn't want to comment on Cobbo's looming departure and backed him to take his opportunity at fullback. 'I'm not going to go into that. I stood here at the same thing last week talking about the same story. Selwyn is now focused on playing,' he said. 'We talk about players and how it's hard to keep everyone. That's what we're working through. 'Selly is working through this year and we've got a great opportunity with where we are at the moment. The competition is well and truly alive. 'Selly has been good over the past month. 'As much as you talk about turbulent, we've worked through things and Selly is really focused on playing with his teammates. 'He's in good form at the moment and trained really well just then, so he's ready to go.'
