2024 Daniel Ricciardo

This success propelled him to the attention of Red Bull Racing's Junior Driver Programme, a prestigious accolade that nurtures young talents for future success in Formula One. As part of the Red Bull Racing stable, Ricciardo continued to impress in various junior daniel ricciardo best moments categories, ultimately leading to his promotion as a Formula One test driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2010. His impressive speed and adaptability caught the eye of the team's management, and soon Ricciardo found himself racing full-time in Formula One.

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.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo managed to qualify in 7th place, and finished in 6th place behind his teammate Norris in his home Grand Prix. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified in 6th place for the sprint race on that Saturday, where he managed to maintain 6th place during the sprint for the race. During the first lap of the race, Ricciardo collided with Carlos Sainz Jr., causing Sainz to retire from the race, and damaging Ricciardo's front wing. At the end of the race, Ricciardo finished in last place, while his teammate, Norris finished on the podium with 3rd place. Ricciardo qualified fourth at the Malaysian Grand Prix but moved up to second into turn one, after a collision between Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg.

But the subsequent move to Renault proved curios and ill-fated – despite some notable podiums – as did a subsequent switch to McLaren. Though his star continued to rise off the track, there were perceptions of a loss of killer instinct as he struggled to adapt his aggressive, late-braking style to the McLaren. There was likely an early and astute recognition by Ricciardo of the potential boons that could be gleaned from F1’s foray on to Netflix, but the unabashed Aussie-ness he has portrayed on the world stage has carried particular weight in his homeland. Being willing to poke fun and not take oneself too seriously is a big part of the ‘larrikin’ identity the country likes to portray to the world and here was one of its finest athletes doing so, in one of sport’s most opulent and elite environments. This is especially true in his hometown of Perth, which counts him as one of its all-time sporting exports.
However, he would charge back to the top 10 in a matter of laps, and sat fifth at the time of the red flag. Following the restart, Ricciardo made a sensational three-car overtake that moved him to third place, sitting behind Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. However, Vettel was due to serve a stop/go penalty while Hamilton pitted due to a loose headrest, promoting Ricciardo into the lead. He would then cross the line and win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, four seconds ahead of Bottas.

At the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified sixth and finished third, scoring the team's first podium since the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. This was Ricciardo's first podium since joining Renault, and his first since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. In the next race, the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, he started tenth after having a crash towards the end of the second segment of qualifying, damaging his rear wing. He reached the podium a second time for Renault at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
But no points in the opening eight grands prix, though Ricciardo did finish fourth in the Miami sprint, meant the writing was on the wall for the Perth-born driver resulting in Lawson being given the opportunity once again. With Ricciardo as reserve driver, the Red Bull-owned team knew it had a ready-made replacement and a Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone in the RB19 gave him the opportunity to show that he still had it. But the grand prix winner cited the need for a fresh challenge, saying there was not much room left to grow with Red Bull while the Renault project excited him. Ricciardo’s move to Renault is one which shocked the entire paddock as it came with a lot of risk, given the French marque ultimately finished fourth and 297 points behind Red Bull in the 2018 championship. The then 28-year-old was at the stage of his career where the next step was more important than ever, given Ricciardo was heading towards his later years so took a lot of time to decide. In the end, he made a shock move to Renault for 2019 and the aftermath of the 2018 Azerbaijan GP is perhaps seen as a catalyst to that decision.
By embracing these challenges, we can gain valuable insights, learn from our mistakes, and ultimately emerge stronger and more resilient. Ricciardo's words remind us to adopt a growth mindset, always seeking opportunities for improvement rather than letting setbacks dampen our spirits. Daniel Ricciardo's quote, "Success is not just about talent, but also about discipline and dedication," encapsulates the essence of achieving greatness. While raw talent may pave the way for initial success, it is the combination of discipline and dedication that sustains and propels one towards higher achievements.

At Austria, Ricciardo got past Räikkönen on the opening lap for third, and held off Hamilton for his fifth podium on the bounce. Ricciardo took a five-place grid penalty for the British Grand Prix due to a gearbox change, but he suffered a turbo failure in Q1, relegating to 19th on the grid. In a stunning drive, Ricciardo produced a comeback that saw him climb fourteen places to fifth place. His run of form came to a halt at the Hungarian Grand Prix, as he and teammate Verstappen collided at Turn 2 on the opening lap, causing Ricciardo's radiator to break and spin out a corner later. Ricciardo qualified third at the Spanish Grand Prix, and after the two Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out on the first lap, he led the early stages of the race. After a remarkable strategy call by Ferrari resulting in a very short third stint for Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull decided to answer this by pitting Ricciardo again and covering Vettel, also going for the presumed faster three-stop strategy.
The exchange was apparently so hilarious that Norris ended up literally crying with laughter – so much so, he had to make his excuses and leave the room as Hamilton and the other drivers watched on bemused. But there was method in McLaren's apparent madness – it was all part of a strategy to hold up Pierre Gasly , and it all went to plan as Norris finished a stellar sixth, ahead of the Red Bull driver. The Carlos Sainz-Lando Norris partnership was one of the most popular driver line-ups in F1 last year as fans loved watching the pair’s ‘bromance’ blossom at a resurgent McLaren team.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesQualifying has seldom been where Ricciardo thrives the most in Formula 1 cars and only has three pole positions to his name. Each of his pole positions also came during the Australian’s time at Red Bull, with a maiden P1 start in 2016 and two  further pole positions during 2018. Daniel Ricciardo may have raced his last Grand Prix after being dropped by Visa Cash App RB, so F1 Oversteer takes a look at the best moments of his career in Formula 1. While Ricciardo was undeterred by the prospect of drinking from a post-race boot, those who he got involved in the process often seemed less keen. Fellow drivers, team bosses and even celebrity guests – including actors Gerard Butler and Sir Patrick Stewart – have all found themselves being cajoled into a shoey by the Australian.