mobile app bar

Daniel Ricciardo’s Incredible Efforts Convinced Natalie Pinkham to Anoint the Australian as the Godfather

Vidit Dhawan
Published

Daniel Ricciardo’s Incredible Efforts Convinced Natalie Pinkham to Anoint the Australian as the Godfather

Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham has revealed why she and her husband, Owain Walbyoff, chose Daniel Ricciardo as their daughter’s Godfather. The 46-year-old recently appeared on the Pitstop podcast when she revealed the details about the same.

Pinkham revealed that while her children are not interested in F1, they are close to Uncle Ricciardo. The British presenter believes that it was easy for her and Walbyoff to anoint the Australian as their daughter’s Godfather as the 34-year-old made the most effort.

When asked if her children enjoy watching her on television, Pinkham replied, “Honestly, they are not that interested in F1“. Soon after she made this remark, she recalled the story about Ricciardo.

The 46-year-old explained how her children are fond of the Australian and often inquire about him. Since Ricciardo also reciprocated a similar level of fondness and kindness for her children, Pinkham revealed that neither she nor her husband hesitated in anointing Ricciardo as her daughter’s Godfather.

Pinkham gave birth to her daughter, Willow, on June 20, 2016. Since Ricciardo lives in close proximity to Pinkham and her family, they have a close friendship.

It is this reason why the Australian often also appears on the British presenter’s Instagram handle. However, more than Pinkham, it is her husband who Ricciardo interestingly shares a closer bond with.

Pinkham reveals how Ricciardo became friendly with her husband

While speaking on the same Pitstop podcast, Natalie Pinkham explained how she was naturally closer to Daniel Ricciardo as compared to other F1 drivers because they both entered the sport “at the same time“. Since the Australian was an F1 driver, Pinkham would often also ask the 34-year-old to get a ticket for her husband. This is when Ricciardo and Owain Walbyoff became very friendly with each other.

Pinkham explained the same by stating, “When I needed a ticket for my then-boyfriend, now husband, I used to say to Daniel, Wiggy needs a ticket and he’d be like yeah yeah, he can come with me, and then they hit it off. So, it’s almost like they’re better mates than I am with him“.

Ricciardo indeed is arguably one of the friendliest drivers on the grid. The Honey Badger is often very cheerful and also has several good friends in the paddock.

However, despite being one of the nicest drivers in the paddock, he is as ruthless as one can be on the race track. The Australian seems to have returned to form with AlphaTauri in the past few races and is looking to put himself in the best position he can for the Red Bull seat sometime in the future.

About the author

Vidit Dhawan

Vidit Dhawan

x-icon

Vidit Dhawan, a Formula 1 Editor at The SportsRush, is intrinsically connected with everything around the sport — from the engine roar, the cacophony on the grandstands to the action. He fell in love with F1 during the inaugural Indian GP in 2011. After more than a decade of deep engagement with the sport, Vidit insists he will remain a lifelong fan of Fernando Alonso, and sees the future of F1 in Charles Leclerc. A sports fanatic from childhood, he discovered his passion for writing while pursuing a bachelor's degree in international and global studies. Vidit has written over 1,700 articles, ranging from news reports to opinions. He thrives covering live action, and loves to dig into the contrasting personalities in the F1 bandwagon and narrate their journey in life as well as the sport. Vidit also follows tennis and football, enjoys playing as well as coaching chess.

Share this article