When a Hollywood Actor Confessed His Crush on Daniel Ricciardo: “I Almost Killed Myself to Impress Him”

Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Alpha Tauri AT04 during Sunday Race of FORMULA 1 LENOVO UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2023 - Oct19 to Oct22 2023 Circuit of Americas, Austin, Texas

When Hollywood actor Dax Shepard first stumbled upon Netflix’s hit F1 docu-series, Drive to Survive (DTS), he didn’t imagine it would lead to a newfound obsession with F1. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. Amid his growing passion for the sport, one driver stood out above the rest — Daniel Ricciardo and it eventually led Shepard to invite the Aussie driver to be a guest on his Armchair Expert podcast.

Talking about his journey into the F1 world during a 2021 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show alongside his wife Kristen Bell, Dax shared, “I watched this Drive to Survive thing on Netflix, which is a great show, and then I became obsessed with Formula One.”

The 49-year-old didn’t hold back about his admiration for Ricciardo, even confessing his “crush” on the Honey Badger during the show. Kristen, who was sitting beside him, said later in the conversation that she already knew about her husband’s admiration for the F1 star.

Shepard also recalled a story from the past when he took Ricciardo tubing in the San Marcos River in Texas where he almost killed himself trying to impress the Aussie.

“There was a moment that I had been really proud of for about a week. I jumped off this bridge while we were tubing, he was screaming it’s too shallow, don’t do it,” he jokingly told Ellen.

“I almost killed myself to impress him,” he added. While Dax gushed over Ricciardo, the real twist came when Kristen revealed she had her own F1 crush.

Kristen Bell’s Unexpected F1 Crush

Like her husband, Kristen had watched Drive to Survive, though she admitted she wasn’t as into the racing itself. But one driver caught her attention — Charles Leclerc. Recalling their experience of attending the US Grand Prix together, Kristen shared,

“Danny [Ricciardo] had gotten us tickets to come under the grid and… there are some visually stimulating people on that show (DTS). There’s a driver that’s just got a face, his name is Charles Leclerc.”

Kristen even recalled making a special request while on the grid as they were being shown around. She mentioned that she wouldn’t mind stopping by the Ferrari car, especially to catch a glimpse of Leclerc.

“I just want to get a visual on Leclerc, see what’s happening over there,” she added.

Dax’s love for F1 has evolved ever since he first watched DTS. Through his podcast, he has created a platform for connecting with major figures in the sport. Alongside Ricciardo, he has also hosted other prominent F1 personalities, including a recent conversation with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
Daniel Ricciardo Dax Shepard Kristen Bell

About the author

Veerendra Vikram Singh

Veerendra Singh is a senior Formula 1 journalist at TheSportsRush, with a passion for the sport that goes back to 2008. His extensive coverage and deep understanding of the sport are evident in the more than 900 articles he has written so far on the sport and its famous personalities like Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff, Charles Leclerc and more... When he's not at his work desk, Veerendra likes to spend time with his two feline friends and watch races from the Formula 1 and MotoGP archive. He is always up for a conversation about motorsport so you can hit him up anytime on his social media handles for a quick word.

Don’t miss these