Daniel Ricciardo has always been one of the most charismatic personalities on the track. Despite being a third driver for Red Bull, Ricciardo remains a huge marketing asset for the team. During his first stint, he was part of various memorable events, including one involving NFL legend Tom Brady.
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Red Bull is known to be a brand that likes to do over-the-top stunts. From racing an airplane with a Formula 1 car or making a pitstop in zero gravity, they have done it all. A much less daring, but equally memorable stunt was carried out by Red Bull during the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix with Daniel Ricciardo.
All Ricciardo had to do was receive a football pass. The catch, however, was that the ball was being thrown by NFL legend Tom Brady, from one superyacht to another.
Daniel Ricciardo Addresses Accusations That The Video Was Not Real
As part of the promotional event, Tom Brady, an avid motorsport fan, launched a pass from the Tag Heuer superyacht towards Ricciardo, who was stationed at another yacht at a distance. The honey badger ended up making a very impressive catch.
A lot of fans, however, claimed that the video was not real and was edited. They pointed out that the shot that shows Tom Brady throwing the ball had white stripes. However, when Ricciardo received the pass, it had black stripes. Therefore, it was claimed that maybe Daniel Ricciardo didn’t make the catch at one go, and had to do retakes.
The Melbourne-born driver addressed these rumors at the Red Bull Season Launch event of 2023. He sat down for a chat with ESPN and was talking about how much he follows the NFL when the topic of him and Brady came up.
When asked if the clip was done in one take, Ricciardo explained, “So, the catch was first take, but I saw a few people reference, like, the ball. So I think they cut to two different shots, because he threw, I think, three in total”
He continued his explanation and said, “The best shot that they got of him throwing was with another ball. So it had like I think maybe black stripes or white stripes, and the one i caught had like black stripes or something. So a few people said, like, oh this has been edited or he didn’t really catch it or something. But it was basically, they must have taken his, like, second throw, but my first catch.
What is Next for Daniel Ricciardo?
For the first time in 12 years, Ricciardo finds himself without a seat in F1. However, he is seemingly enjoying his reserve role at Red Bull. Ricciardo admitted that he is getting to spend a lot more time with his family and friends.
It is quite obvious that an eight-time Grand Prix winner like Ricciardo will always be in demand. Even though he did not have the best of stints with McLaren, the immense experience and marketing value that the Australian brings cannot be ignored.
Therefore, if a seat opens up on the grid. Daniel Ricciardo could very well be a top contender for the seat. As for 2023, he will drive the RB19 during a Pirelli tyre test in Silverstone this July.
