“Got Him Soaked as Well”: F1 Reporter’s Payback on Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo undoubtedly has one of the most fun personalities in F1. Few have embraced the paddock experience as wholeheartedly as he has, fully indulging in as many activities as possible—and occasionally, pranks—whenever possible.

Sometimes, he would even pull those around him into his shenanigans and Natalie Pinkham found that out the hard way.

In 2017, during the Monaco GP weekend, Pinkham was interviewing Ricciardo by the poolside—a fairly standard procedure. However, she made the mistake of mentioning the previous year’s race, prompting Ricciardo to get his revenge.

As Pinkham got up, Ricciardo extended his hand, giving the impression that he wanted help. Unfortunately for her, it was a ruse, and she was suddenly thrown into the water, much to her shock. “That’s for last year. Get out of my face.” 

The 2016 Monaco GP was arguably one of Ricciardo’s most heartbreaking races. He topped every session and was in control until a pit-stop error cost him the win. Understandably, he wasn’t thrilled about the reminder, so he chose to settle the score playfully.

Pinkham admitted on the Red Flags Podcast recently that she should have held on to Ricciardo’s hand tighter so that he fell in with her. However, she got her payback in her own way just moments later. “I do remember getting out and then hugging him and getting him soaked as well“, she revealed.

It wasn’t her best moment, but she looks back on it as a ‘funny’ incident now.

Pinkham has often spoken fondly of Ricciardo, largely due to their close friendship. Having started their F1 journeys around the same time, they naturally developed a strong bond.

This connection is also why she and her husband, Owain Walbyoff, chose Ricciardo as the godfather to their son, Wilf.

Pinkham was delighted to see Ricciardo get his redemption in 2018

After missing out on the 2016 Monaco GP win through no fault of his own, Ricciardo finally felt a huge sense of relief when he triumphed in 2018. What made the victory even sweeter was the way he achieved it.

Everything was going smoothly for Ricciardo as he led every lap from pole position. However, midway through the race, he began experiencing a power unit issue.

The ghosts of 2016 loomed large, but Ricciardo held his nerve, keeping a fast-charging Sebastian Vettel at bay for nearly half the race. When he finally crossed the finish line in P1, his emotions were there for everyone to see.

“Two years in the making of this. I finally feel like the redemption has arrived“.

Pinkham couldn’t hide her glee either. Like much of the F1 community, she was thrilled to see her friend emerge victorious. “That was such a special moment because his mom and dad were there. And it was against all the odds—it was like holding on, just holding on for that victory,” she added.

Interestingly, after winning the Grand Prix, Ricciardo willingly jumped into the Monaco swimming pool, resulting in one of the most iconic F1 images to date.