How Daniel Ricciardo turned a brand new form of F1 star

Keep knowledgeable on all the largest tales in Method 1. Enroll right here to obtain the Prime Tire publication in your inbox each Monday and Friday. 

The shoeys. The jokes. The tattoos. The notorious, exaggerated “Pierreee Gaslyyyyyy!!!” and Nico Hülkenberg shouts.

Daniel Ricciardo isn’t a world champion or among the many Method One all-time greats based mostly on his outcomes — eight wins, three pole positions and 32 podium finishes over 13 seasons. However within the sport’s fashionable period, the Australian driver cemented himself as a one-of-a-kind icon by carrying his coronary heart on his sleeve. The authenticity and humanity Ricciardo introduced over time drew in followers, new and outdated.

The Ricciardo glimpses over six seasons of Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ docuseries is identical driver media noticed within the paddock. However beneath the floor is a fierce competitor. His peak got here throughout his Purple Bull days, from 2014-2018, and his final time on the rostrum occurred in 2021 when he received the Italian Grand Prix, McLaren’s first F1 win since 2012.

“For anybody who thought I left, I by no means left,” he mentioned over the crew radio that day. “Simply moved apart for some time.”

However he additionally skilled two hiatuses, one when he departed McLaren in 2022 and once more in 2023 as he recovered from surgical procedure whereas competing for AlphaTauri (now often called RB). His pace is obvious, however Ricciardo lacked consistency in 2024. Questions arose whether or not Ricciardo might make a comeback to the senior crew — a objective that by no means got here to fruition.

“This yr, the aim was to attempt to do ok to get again into Purple Bull and combat for wins once more, see if I’ve nonetheless received it,” Ricciardo mentioned in Singapore. “I felt like I got here up brief with that, so I feel it’s then, ‘OK, what else am I combating for right here? What else goes to provide me success?’”

RB introduced final week that Liam Lawson would change Ricciardo for the rest of the 2024 season. The seemingly awkward exit for Ricciardo led to mass criticism from followers on social media, given Ricciardo’s widespread reputation and a legacy larger than simply statistics and distinctive within the sport’s historical past.

---

Ricciardo’s F1 profession began equally to the way it ended.

The Australian joined the grid with HRT partway by the 2011 season, changing Narain Karthikeyan. The crew hadn’t scored within the first eight races of the yr and opted handy the reins to the Purple Bull Academy driver. Throughout Ricciardo’s first season, he typically was close to the again of the grid; nevertheless, he typically out-qualified and completed forward of teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi, one in all Purple Bull’s first F1 drivers.

Purple Bull promoted Ricciardo the next yr to Toro Rosso, its sister crew now often called RB. The Australian scored his first factors in 2012 and continued to enhance, ending behind teammate Jean-Eric Vergne in 2012 however forward in 2013. It was sufficient for Purple Bull to name Ricciardo as much as the senior crew when Mark Webber left F1 on the finish of the 2013 marketing campaign.

The Purple Bull chapter (from 2014-2018) turned Ricciardo’s glory years. The 2014 season was the daybreak of a brand new hybrid engine period for F1, and he thrived over the subsequent 4 seasons, exhibiting flashes of F1 world champion potential. It was straightforward to imagine he could be Purple Bull’s No. 2 to teammate Sebastian Vettel, who was a four-time world champion by that time. However whereas Mercedes’ duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg dominated, they had been defeated thrice in 2014 — by Ricciardo every time.

Montreal was the Australian driver’s first F1 win, passing Rosberg with two laps to go. The opposite wins in 2014 got here in Hungary (with spectacular overtakes on Hamilton and Fernando Alonso) and Belgium (keep in mind Hamilton and Rosberg’s collision?). By season’s finish, he completed third within the driver standings and 71 factors forward of Vettel.

Regardless that Purple Bull fell to the midfield in 2015, Ricciardo managed to safe a couple of podium finishes. When Max Verstappen joined part-way by 2016, Ricciardo’s largest battle turned his rising teammate. When the 2 went wheel-to-wheel in Malaysia, Ricciardo got here out victorious. As Verstappen grew, the pair battled, memorably crashing out on the 2018 Azerbaijan GP.

Come 2019, Ricciardo left Purple Bull for Renault, a call many have questioned as Purple Bull turned a powerhouse. The 2-year stint solely led to a couple podium finishes earlier than he moved to McLaren. His time with the Woking-based crew, although, ended a yr earlier than his contract was set to run out (McLaren signed Oscar Piastri for 2023 as an alternative). Purple Bull swooped in to maintain Ricciardo across the sport as its “third driver.”

“I didn’t acknowledge the Daniel (he was) on the finish of his tenure at McLaren,” Purple Bull crew principal Christian Horner mentioned on the F1 Nation podcast. “I mentioned to him, ‘Why don’t you come and be part of us, rediscover your ardour on your sport?’” Horner added Ricciardo had “picked up some actually unhealthy habits” throughout his time at McLaren. “And little by little, working together with his outdated engineering crew, he began to seek out his type once more.”

Ricciardo’s starvation got here again. When Nyck de Vries received minimize from AlphaTauri, the Australian was tapped because the alternative. Ricciardo later missed 5 races that season after injuring his hand, and Lawson served because the alternative, making a giant impression.

However on the senior crew, Sergio Pérez struggled in late 2023. Ricciardo primarily was the Milton Keynes-based crew’s security internet and publicly desired a return to Purple Bull. Through the 2024 marketing campaign, Ricciardo’s type lacked consistency. Nevertheless, Pérez’s struggles reemerged, which led to many questioning forward of summer season break whether or not a return to Purple Bull could be doable for the Australian.

“I’d have cherished to see him use it as a springboard to get again to the place he was, to have accomplished the story. However it wasn’t to be,” Purple Bull crew principal Christian Horner mentioned on F1 Nation, after information broke of Ricciardo being changed at RB. “Daniel’s sincere about that, and he is aware of in his coronary heart he gave it his greatest shot. He’s had an amazing profession, he’s had an amazing run, however sadly the subsequent chapter wasn’t to be.”

Ricciardo’s profession, throughout its prime, was marked by being the final of the late-brakers — a fearless driver who courted desires of contending for a world championship earlier than they slipped away for varied causes (like Mercedes’ decade-long domination). However a number of of his wins featured passing masterclasses, like in China 2018 when Ricciardo famously mentioned, “Generally you simply need to lick the stamp and ship it.”

However some of the iconic victories was possible Monaco 2018 — sure, that photograph. He nursed mechanical points for 50 laps, and even his race engineer was stunned, saying after the Australian crossed the road, “I don’t know the way you probably did that, Daniel.”

His remaining race at Singapore behind him, it’s finish of an period for Ricciardo, no less than on-track.

“He’s a pure entertainer and a showman,” Horner continued, “he shall be for positive in entrance of the digital camera in some unspecified time in the future and I’m positive there shall be a documentary or one thing, that shall be fascinating.”

---

“I’m Daniel Ricciardo, and I’m a automotive mechanic.”

His voice is the primary you hear on the pilot episode of ‘Drive to Survive.’ He’s proven as the primary sit-down interview, and he didn’t disappoint, fast to joke on one of many first questions he was requested. With Mercedes and Ferrari not collaborating within the first season, Ricciardo stepped into the highlight and have become a part of why the most recent wave of followers fell in love with F1.

In a sport the place the athletes spend most of their time in vehicles with helmets on, Netflix allowed followers to get nearer to the game’s personalities than ever earlier than. Ricciardo introduced the human factor from the get-go whereas decked in his Purple Bull gear throughout Season 1. Because the seasons wore on, a number of moments all through his profession that we recounted turned immortalized on Netflix. The Monaco pool stomach flop. Ricciardo’s transfer to Renault. The feelings of the 2021 Italian GP victory with McLaren.

Leaving Purple Bull for Renault noticed his on-track outcomes dip, however his reputation took off as Ricciardo’s profession unfolded. He turned a famous person of the Netflix docuseries, a present partially credited with F1’s reputation growth. The game and fandom grew alongside him as vital strikes in his profession post-Purple Bull had been captured intimately on digital camera. When his time at McLaren was coming to an finish in 2022, Netflix put collectively a phase reflecting on his time in F1, exhibiting varied clips from throughout the years.

Earlier than the montage ran within the finale of season 5, a producer mentioned off digital camera, “This could be the final time you’re sat on this chair.” Ricciardo replied, “Yeah,” whereas the producer requested, “Considered that?”

Ricciardo sighed.

“I imply, the present wouldn’t be the identical with out me, so… what do you do?”

DANIEL RICCIARDO. Perpetually our Honey Badger. pic.twitter.com/19Rf0P3yHs

— Netflix (@netflix) September 27, 2024

Fan edits started surfacing on social media after the Singapore GP, with posts on totally different platforms honoring the Australian and paired with songs like ‘Pink Skies’ by Zach Bryan (one in all Ricciardo’s favourite music artists). When information broke that Lawson was changing him, loads of present and former drivers, in addition to a number of groups, shared their ideas in regards to the Australian driver.

“(Daniel), it’s been a honour to compete with you over time. I’ll always remember the battles, the laughs, and ingesting out of your shoe. It was gross, however glad I received to do it with you bud,” Hamilton posted on Instagram. “You permit a legacy of all the time being your self, which on this sport isn’t straightforward. You’ve taken all of it with the largest smile and I salute you for it. There may be a lot extra for you up forward and I can’t wait to see what you do subsequent. At all times right here for you, man.”

However Ricciardo turned larger than the game, his reputation extending past the confines of the F1 world. He appeared on podcasts and discuss exhibits, gracing the couches of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert’s exhibits. He attended the Met Gala for the primary time in 2023, one thing Hamilton has carried out 5 instances. He created his merchandise line, Enchanté, and launched a wine assortment. Non-F1 official sports activities accounts even weighed in in regards to the late driver drop, just like the Vegas Golden Knights and the NFL Australia and New Zealand account with the Buffalo Payments.

---

The departure isn’t an entire shock, although a swap earlier than the ultimate six races (and three sprints) does elevate eyebrows. Ricciardo’s efficiency lacked consistency, and the concept of a Purple Bull comeback began having query marks.

It stays to be seen what Ricciardo’s subsequent transfer shall be. Curiously, the phrase retirement has but for use publicly, however the sentiment appears to be there.

“I’m happy with the profession. I attempted to turn into world champion, I attempted to turn into the very best at one thing on the earth,” Ricciardo mentioned in Singapore. “I feel it’s a tall process that we ask from ourselves. Some obtain it, some don’t. In the long run, if I got here up a bit brief, I can also’t be too exhausting on myself.

“Pleased with the hassle I put in, and for that, there’s no unhappiness or feeling or remorse or what might have been.”

It’s pure to wonder if he’ll have a look at different motorsports sequence, like NASCAR or Supercars, to call a couple of. Maybe, at some point, he’ll attempt his hand at broadcasting like Jenson Button, Jolyon Palmer or David Coulthard. Given the fan response to his departure, many possible hope the 35-year-old will keep all over the world of F1. Horner does.

“We’ve made it very clear that we wish him to stay in an ambassadorial capability with the crew, and naturally, one by no means actually is aware of. I imply, if Liam doesn’t get the job carried out, if Checo doesn’t get the job carried out, we all know what Daniel’s functionality is,” Horner mentioned on F1 Nation. “However I feel for him, he is aware of, on the age that he’s at, he’s had an amazing profession. So many recollections.

“Probably the most disgusting factor ever was ingesting champagne out of his sweaty boot! However he made it his personal, and he received some unimaginable individuals to drink the champagne from his sweaty shoe.”

High photograph: Vince Mignott/MB Media by way of Getty Pictures; Design: Dan Goldfarb/The Athletic