Considering the kind of talent Daniel Ricciardo had, it seems bizarre that he never won a world championship in F1. After a roller coaster of a career trajectory with some questionable moves, in hindsight, his career seemingly ended in an abrupt fashion last year. However, it started in a similarly surprising manner, so the Aussie may have come full circle.
Back in 2018, the Honey Badger recalled the lead-up to his F1 debut for The Player’s Tribune. He revealed how Helmut Marko, the head of the Red Bull driver academy, informed him that he would be racing in F1 for the 2011 British GP for the Hispania Racing Team (HRT)—with only eight days’ notice!
Ricciardo went on to detail how nervous he was in his first-ever press conference. “The media were asking Rubens [Barrichello] to give me some advice. I was like, I’ve watched this guy my entire life, and he’s probably never even heard of me,” he revealed.
But in that moment, he was swiped away by Lewis Hamilton (who was a world champion by then). “Lewis Hamilton pulled me aside after it was over,” he recalled, and the Briton told him, “You’re going to be fine. Just … look around every once and a while and enjoy it.” That moment had a profound impact on the former Red Bull driver.
“For a world champ to take time out of his home grand prix to talk to me actually calmed me down a lot,” he explained.
Ricciardo’s debut in F1 didn’t go according to plan, though. In fact, he was lapped multiple times during the race at Silverstone—not because of his own inexperience but because the HRT car, back in the day, was a sluggish, torrid ride.
First laps in F1… completed it mate @danielricciardo made his debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix with HRT
And things have gone pretty well for the Aussie since then!#BritishGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/U6sJp2FpfE
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 5, 2018
But that race put him on the map, and on Red Bull’s radar. The Aussie would eventually go on to race for the Bulls’ sister team, Toro Rosso (now RB), and get the call-up to the main team in 2014. His first year with Red Bull was the start of an illustrious career with the Milton Keynes-based team as he convincingly got the better of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
After Vettel’s departure to Ferrari in 2015, Ricciardo would assume the position of the number one driver at the team and went on to win seven Grands Prix for Red Bull. While he didn’t have a title contender car at his disposal during this stint, Ricciardo proved his mettle as a potential world champion and one of the highest-rated stars on the grid.
It all came crashing down for him, though, as Max Verstappen rose to prominence.
How Ricciardo’s F1 career steadily went off the rails
Verstappen entered the Red Bull fray in 2016 and won on his debut at the Spanish GP. Two years later, he pushed the Honey Badger out, as Red Bull were starting to place their bets on the Dutchman more often.
Ricciardo then moved on to Renault for the 2019 season, where he aimed to rack up podiums and victories, but it never came to pass. McLaren came calling for him in 2021 as Carlos Sainz moved on to Ferrari to replace Vettel, and the Perth-born driver felt this was his ideal opportunity to win the title in the coming years.
DANIEL RICCIARDO WINS! WOW!
It’s his first victory since Monaco 2018, and his maiden podium for McLaren. Incredible!#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/tQ8Ulg4SzL
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 12, 2021
What initially seemed like a match made in heaven, with Ricciardo’s undeniable prowess and McLaren’s rising trajectory, turned out to be a nightmare for the eight-time Grand Prix winner. A disastrous sophomore year with the Woking-based team meant he was sacked prematurely at the end of 2022, with one year remaining on his contract.
Ricciardo did try to kickstart his F1 career once again with a second chance at RB (formerly Toro Rosso) in 2023. But dwindling form and a lack of confidence meant that he was shown the exit doors once again—with the 2024 Singapore GP being his final outing in the sport.
