Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton have shared the F1 grid for over a decade and, in the meantime, have gone through several rounds of competition. Though they aren’t the best friends on the grid, they haven’t had a sour phase in their relationship.
The two massively respect each other and often discuss the importance of maintaining good mental hygiene. Therefore, it’s easy to say that they often have similar thoughts.
However, Ricciardo this year won’t be actively racing in F1 after getting axed by McLaren. But he’ll keep his presence in the sport with Red Bull, as he is their third driver for the next season. Amidst that, he got to speak about Hamilton, and the Australian driver praised his rival.
Lewis Hamilton is the most generous
Ricciardo was recently quizzed by media where he had to name a driver over a question asked when he was asked who is most likely to pay a cheque whenever there is a dinner outing.
Citing the dinner in honour of Sebastian Vettel, Ricciardo named Hamilton the most likely person to pick up the cheque without hesitation. Ricciardo also claimed that Hamilton picked the tab for the 20 drivers last time; he will have to give him a shoutout.
Asking Daniel Ricciardo “Who’s most likely to” out of the current grid 😅 pic.twitter.com/qglhC8mxPy
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) February 6, 2023
The dinner for Vettel was one of the most remarkable moments in the 2022 season. For once, all the drivers coming out of their competition sat with each other to celebrate a veteran’s 15-year-long F1 career.
Australia will decide on the comeback
The winner of eight Grand Prix races decided to take a hiatus from F1 racing this year, but he isn’t sure of making a comeback next year. He claims he feels exhausted from the competition and doesn’t want to compete half-heartedly.
But many believe he’ll eventually come back in the following year, as he is still touted as one of the top drivers despite a poor 2022 season. Yet, Ricciardo hasn’t made up his mind.
Recently, Autosport quoted him where the 33-year-old said that the buzz around the Australian Grand Prix would determine whether he would come back.
As of now, no top team would be willing to make space for him, as most of them have invested in drivers younger than Ricciardo but have reasonable experience. So, cracking that combination for any team is highly unlikely until an individual fumble on the opportunity in their hands. So, luck is a huge determining factor here.
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