Often referring to the US as his second home, Daniel Ricciardo is a true American at heart. The ‘cowboy’ F1 driver loves all things American and is a huge fan of the NFL. The Josh Allen supporter now faces a heartbreaking situation where, per a report from Sports Business Journal, he will have to attend the Super Bowl for the unveiling of the car, but he won’t be able to see his favorite team, the Buffalo Bills, play in the final after their season came to an end a few days ago.
While Cash App was already an important sponsor for Red Bull as well as (formerly) AlphaTauri, Visa is now joining the bandwagon, and the two finance companies will now act as the title sponsors for the team now known as Visa Cash App RB. The deal will fetch the Red Bull B-team $20 million annually, significantly boosting the team’s finances.
With two vastly powerful title sponsors, the team is starting to show their high-profile activation opportunities by unveiling their car at one of the biggest sporting spectacles of the year. While it will be a proud moment for the entire team, the feeling would be rather bittersweet for Ricciardo, who would be feeling the sting of his favorite team not playing for the coveted NFL title.
Daniel Ricciardo was present during last year’s Super Bowl event, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs pick up the winner’s trophy. This year could’ve been much more special for the Australian driver, who was hoping to see the Bills make it all the way through to the finals and possibly even lift the title, but the defending champs stood in the way, winning an all-important match 27-24 to send the Bills packing.
Daniel Ricciardo fell in love with the Bills as it reminded him of his friends
Ever since he started watching the NFL, Ricciardo has been a Bills fan through and through and has become a loved part of the Bills Mafia, which is the name given to the Bills’ fan army. Talking about the same, Ricciardo once claimed the Bills Mafia culture reminded him of his mates back home and how they, too, had a similar culture of initiation.
At the Bills Mafia, one has to put themselves through a table as a tradition to be one of them, and Ricciardo claimed it was exactly the kind of thing his Australian friends would come up with.
22nd January was a day of heartbreak for the Bills fans as they came agonizingly close to leveling the game at 27-all in the dying embers of the match. However, a 44-yard game-tying kick miss by Tyler Bass meant the Chiefs would hold on to their 3-point lead for the remainder of the match, knocking Bills out for the third time in a row.
Being an athlete himself, Ricciardo understands the highs and lows of being in sports and the effects of winning and losing on one’s mindset. After the Bills defeat to the Chiefs last year, he reached out to Josh Allen to lend his support for the star Quarterback and showcase his empathy after a tough loss.
