The wildfires that devastated Los Angeles and its surrounding areas have affected millions and displaced hundreds of thousands who lost their homes. Many in the F1 community have publicly expressed their grief and shared their prayers.
However, few are as deeply connected to the city as Daniel Ricciardo has been over the years. Ricciardo took to Instagram and asked his followers to donate to firefighters, volunteers, and other first responders who have been working tirelessly for over a week to contain the fires, that seem impossible to control because of the strong Santa Ana winds.
“Los Angeles has been a part of my life for the last 10 years and seeing the devastation occur over the last week has been heartbreaking,” Ricciardo wrote.
The former Red Bull driver shared a link, urging fans to help in any way they can. “It’s not a competition, it’s the thought that counts,” he added.
Ricciardo, although a proud Aussie, loves the US and spends a huge chunk of his time there. He spoke about his connection to Los Angeles in his story because he owns a home there, and was most recently spotted there just days after losing out on his F1 seat in September last year.
Ricciardo owns a house in Beverly Hills, which was originally built in the 1960s and cost him $19 million. For now, his house remains safe, but looking at neighborhoods around go up in flames has surely not been easy for the honey badger.
Other F1 drivers such as Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon also shared stories last week, expressing their distress at seeing one of their favorite cities suffer from these devastating fires, which have so far killed 25 people, and damaged property worth more than $60 billion.
