Daniel Ricciardo losing out on his McLaren seat and consequently a place in F1 for the 2023 season was one of the low points of the previous campaign. Ricciardo is arguably one of the biggest stars in the sport, and his popularity skyrocketed over the last few years.
Despite not being in F1 anymore, Ricciardo remains extremely popular, even among celebrities. F1 action heads to Australia for round three of this year’s world championship, but as of last Sunday, Ricciardo is partying it up in Las Vegas!
DANIEL RICCIARDO TO TOTALNY VIBE LAS VEGAS
CHCE ISC Z NIM NA IMPREZE https://t.co/pTmqzVCU4G— Patka🫶🏻 #15•Kochan•🏐/16•Leclerc•🆑 (@siatkarakochana) March 26, 2023
Ricciardo is scheduled to make an appearance at the Australian GP paddock as Red Bull’s third driver and fulfill his media duties, but it seems as though he is enjoying life away from the daily responsibilities of being a top F1 driver. On social media, it was revealed that Ricciardo was in Vegas over the weekend, partying with The Chainsmokers.
📸🎥 | Olha quem estava em um beach club em Las Vegas aproveitando um show do The Chainsmokers…😍#danielricciardo #DRBR #DR3 pic.twitter.com/wuhwAwj77A
— Daniel Ricciardo Brazil (@RicciardoBrazil) March 26, 2023
The Chainsmokers are one of the most popular musical duos in the world and have released some of the biggest hits over the last decade or so. Ahead of traveling to Melbourne for the Australian GP, Ricciardo made the most of his sabbatical from F1 to enjoy a good time with The Chainsmokers.
Red Bull making the most of Ricciardo’s popularity
Ricciardo’s immense popularity could be put to great use by the marketing department of any F1 team. When his departure from McLaren was made official, there were quite a few teams who were linked to Ricciardo, but they couldn’t match the Aussie’s demand.
Haas, most notably, could not afford to pay Ricciardo $10 million a year, so the Perth-born driver decided on taking a hiatus instead. However, he won’t be completely disconnected from F1 as he has to fulfill his duties of being Red Bull’s third driver.
australia grand prix, would you gibe danny a job at your gp next year organizing the event ? thank you
— jua °°|| ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@predestinato_ju) November 20, 2022
Officially, he is the choice to take control of the RB19 in case Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez are deemed unable to compete, but it seems unlikely that we’ll see him in action anytime this year. However, Red Bull will make the most out of Ricciardo being in their team, with the honey badger scheduled to make multiple media appearances this season.
Homecoming for Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo might’ve been partying hard in Las Vegas last weekend, but he must be looking forward to receiving the love and support of his home fans in Albert Park, even though he isn’t driving. Huge support for Ricciardo is expected to be on display once the Grand Prix weekend in Melbourne starts.
On the other hand, the Aussie fans will have something to cheer about when the race gets underway. Ricciardo may have lost his spot at McLaren, but compatriot and talented youngster Oscar Piastri took over, and the Melbourne-born driver will be looking to make an impression in front of his friends and family.