Daniel Ricciardo had an ugly split with McLaren at the end of the 2022 F1 season. After a series of poor showings, the Papayas ended his contract with one year remaining. Despite this, the Australian managed to fly in a private jet to Hungaroring, arranged by McLaren’s sponsor. And interestingly, it cost over $20,000.
As per recent developments, Lando Norris posted on his social media Instagram a series of selfies with Ricciardo. The duo was spotted flying to Hungary in a private jet together.
This has come after the Honey Badger was given the chance to make his return to Formula 1. The top bosses of AlphaTauri decided to replace Nyck de Vries with Ricciardo following multiple underwhelming performances.
After the fantastic testing by the 34-year-old with Red Bull RB-19, an impressed Christian Horner called up Helmut Marko about the move. Within an hour, it was decided that de Vries would be sacked with immediate effect.
How did the $20,000 private jet flight exist for Daniel Ricciardo?
According to Kym Illman, Norris was revealed to be flying on a private jet sponsored by McLaren’s sponsor FAI. The Papayas joined a multi-year partnership with the FAI aviation group in 2020.
Through this, they provide McLaren’s F1 team private aviation services, which Norris also enjoys by using a private jet to every race destination. Illman revealed in the video that such a flight could cost up to €17,800, around $20,000.
Admittedly, Daniel Ricciardo traveling with Norris is understandable, even though they are from different teams. Drivers from different teams in a single private jet are a common sight since they usually travel to the same destination, but most importantly, the former McLarenduo shares an amicable relationship due to their McLaren days together.
F1 drivers with a private jet and aviation sponsors
F1 drivers are amongst the highest-paid athletes in the world. With so much money, they can easily afford a private jet to travel around. However, not all drivers own a jet, even if they can.
Admittedly, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen are the two drivers currently owning a private jet. When it comes to private sponsorships, Toto Wolff has one with Bombardier.
Lewis Hamilton also once owned a Bombardier Challenger 605 and used it to travel to F1 destinations throughout the season. But he sold it many years ago to improve his carbon footprint.
