Considering the talent Daniel Ricciardo possessed, it is bizarre that he never won a world championship in F1. After a roller coaster career trajectory with some questionable moves, his journey in Formula One ended abruptly last year. That said, his career also began in a surprisingly similar manner.
In 2018, the Honey Badger recalled on The Player’s Tribune the events leading up to his F1 debut. He revealed how he only had eight days to prepare after Helmut Marko, the head of the Red Bull driver academy, informed him that he would be racing in F1 for the Hispania Racing Team (HRT) at the 2011 British GP.
Ricciardo detailed 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,” revealed the Aussie.
But then Lewis Hamilton, who was a world champion by then, intervened and made it comfortable for Ricciardo.
“Lewis Hamilton pulled me aside after it was over,” recalled Ricciardo. And the Briton told him, “You’re going to be fine. Just … look around every once in 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 wrote.
Ricciardo’s debut in F1 didn’t go according to plan, though. He was lapped multiple times during the race at Silverstone — not because of his lack of skill or inexperience, but because the HRT car 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. The Aussie then went on to race for the Bulls’ sister team, Toro Rosso (now RB), and got the call-up to the main team in 2014. It was the start of an illustrious career with the Milton Keynes-based team when he convincingly got the better of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
After Vettel’s departure to Ferrari in 2015, Ricciardo assumed 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 one of the highly-rated stars on the grid.
It all came crashing down for him, though, as Max Verstappen rose to prominence.
How Ricciardo’s F1 career got derailed
Verstappen entered Red Bull in 2016 and won on his debut at the Spanish GP. Two years later, he pushed the Honey Badger out. By that time, Red Bull were starting to place their bets on the Dutchman more often.
Ricciardo moved to Renault for the 2019 season, where he aimed to rack up podiums and victories, but they never came. McLaren came calling for him in 2021 as Carlos Sainz moved to Ferrari to replace Vettel. The Perth-born driver felt this was his ideal opportunity to win a title.
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 AlphaTauri) in 2023. But dwindling form and a lack of confidence meant that he was shown the exit doors once again. The 2024 Singapore GP was his final outing in the sport.
