Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen
Known for his daring overtakes and a never-say-die attitude, this Australian racer has not only won races but the hearts of fans worldwide. Beyond the podium finishes and the shoey celebrations lies a story of determination, resilience, and daniel ricciardo max verstappen a passion for speed. Here are 45 facts about Daniel Ricciardo that reveal the man behind the helmet, showcasing his career highs, personal life, and the qualities that make him a standout figure in the adrenaline-fueled world of Formula 1.
His two years at Renault after leaving Red Bull at the end of 2018 did not bring the rewards he expected. But, as an A-lister, when he joined a resurgent McLaren at the start of this season, he was expected to take off immediately. "I love nearly all sports and it's impressive to see youth perform at such a high level and be able to absorb the pressure, the emotion," he says.
To do so, he’ll have to avoid a performance like the one he had last season, when Perez collided with Charles Leclerc on the opening lap to end his race immediately. But he’s moved past that and is focused only on helping Red Bull and turning around his own season. His downfall came after a strong start to the year in which he claimed four podium finishes in the opening five races. Despite underperforming throughout the year, Ricciardo impressed the world with a magnificent victory at the chaotic Italian Grand Prix, restoring hopes for the Australian.
Ricciardo would put on an overtaking masterclass, overtaking five cars in a span of eight laps to win the race. He was fighting for fourth with teammate Max Verstappen in the latter half of the race. On lap 40, both drivers collided, Ricciardo's front wing made heavy contact with his teammate's rear, and the incident caused both drivers to retire. Following the race, Horner stated that both drivers were ordered to "apologise" at the Red Bull factory. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Ricciardo was replaced by Ayumu Iwasa for the first practice session of the weekend.
The shoey is a unique Australian celebration which entails a driver drinking champagne from their race-worn shoe on the podium. It was introduced to motorsport by V8 Utes racer Ryal Harris, before Ricciardo brought it to F1 after his second-place finish at the 2016 German GP. But Ricciardo thrived and quickly asserted himself as the faster driver, in which his impressive start culminated in a maiden grand prix victory at the season’s seventh round in Montreal. Starting in tenth, Ricciardo dropped all the way down to 17th at one point before charging his way to the front.
By adopting this mindset, we can turn even the most challenging setbacks into valuable opportunities for self-improvement. Ricciardo is an avid fan of rock music, and before each race, he listens to AC/DC's hit song "Thunderstruck" to get pumped up and in the right mindset for the race. "Thank you for the wins, smiles, songs , you will always be a special part of the Red Bull family. After three seasons with Red Bull's junior team, then named Toro Rosso, Ricciardo drove under Horner's leadership for five seasons at Red Bull. Yet despite Verstappen’s late move causing their collision, Ricciardo felt Red Bull backed the Dutchman over him regarding the incident.
After picking Ricciardo’s name out of a hat, Alonso initially suggested that he wasn’t sure what sort of present he would give. He later iconically chose to gift the ink-loving Ricciardo some temporary tattoos – of the two-time world champion’s face. Cue much hilarity as Ricciardo gamely showed up in the paddock sporting Alonso’s grin on his arm.
In conclusion, Daniel Ricciardo’s 2023 season in Formula 1 has been a journey of rediscovery and resurgence. From overcoming physical setbacks to redefining his approach to racing, Ricciardo’s story is one of triumph over adversity. His performance in the Mexican Grand Prix and his optimistic outlook on his career and life are inspirational, indicating that the best may still be yet to come from this talented driver. His performance there, where he secured a fourth-place finish, was a significant achievement. It was a moment where he felt the thrill of racing at its peak, describing the experience as equivalent to securing a pole position, given the unexpected performance of the AlphaTauri car.
Daniel Ricciardo is revelling in being back in Canada – the scene of his maiden win 10 years ago – and put in a stellar performance to take fifth place on the grid in qualifying for RB. A move to Renault did little to ignite Daniel Ricciardo's careerDitching Red Bull for Renault was a career gamble that ultimately proved a bust for Ricciardo but his stock crucially remained high during his two years at the team. F1 though almost changed overnight during the intervening winter though as the hybrid rules came into effect as Hamilton and Nico Rosberg drove off into the distance and staged their own world championship for the next three years. Despite the all-round doom and gloom in Singapore surrounding Daniel Ricciardo, there was reason to believe that the Aussie's career in Formula 1 might not quite be over...yet. He explained how the team’s data feedback processes are helping him learn more about not just the car, but also his driving characteristics which were impacted from two seasons at McLaren.
This event reignited his passion for racing and hinted at the possibility of future victories. Sebastian Vettel’s decision to leave Ferrari at the end of 2020 set off a driver market shake-up. Ricciardo, who had been at Renault for two seasons, saw an opportunity to move to McLaren—a team that was rising in competitiveness. The move promised to be Ricciardo’s return to a race-winning team, although it took him time to find his footing there. Ricciardo did well despite a poor car, as over time he gradually became quicker than veteran team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi – out-qualifying him for grands prix like Italy, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
"That was one good qualifying. If he can carry on this weekend like this and do four, five, six more races like this, then he'll be fine. But like he said, he's been lacking consistency this year. Team orders understandably came into play when Yuki Tsunoda arrived on the scene just three laps later, growing frustrated with the team as he questioned why they were waiting to make the switch. With the undercut the target, Ricciardo was the first driver to make a pitstop on Lap 11, putting on a shiny set of hard tyres as he emerged in last place. Starting on the dirty side of the track, Ricciardo and his team opted to start the race on the soft compound tyre, fearful of falling through the pack if they were to launch on the hards. “But I think today the fans read the media and know this could be my last one, so I think that’s a really nice gesture from them and today it is appreciated, I do acknowledge that.