“I Still Call Australia Home”: Daniel Ricciardo Probably Knows More About Austin Than Australia

The reception Daniel Ricciardo receives every time he sets foot in Austin, Texas, almost makes it feel like he is an honorary American citizen. Ricciardo loves the Lone Star State. However, his proud Aussie roots remain undeniable. That’s why it’s surprising how little he knows about his home country compared to Texas.

Recently, Sky Sports released an old quiz they conducted with Ricciardo from his McLaren days, and it featured a bunch of trivia questions regarding Australia. Ricciardo failed embarrassingly.

He had no idea that the Australian Alps received more snowfall than the Swiss Alps. He couldn’t even nail down the percentage of Australians who lived on the coast, the number of beaches in the land down under, or the quantity of beer consumed by Aussies per year (1.7 billion liters!). Ricciardo also labeled Perth as the ‘state with the cleanest air’ when in fact, it’s a city and not a state. Even then, Western Australia (the state Perth is located in) wasn’t the correct answer. It was Tasmania.

The former Red Bull driver’s final score? One out of ten, after which he wittily claimed, “I still call Australia home.” However, considering how much more he knows about Austin in comparison, Ricciardo could surely make the American city his new home someday.

During a press conference in Suzuka in 2022, Ricciardo revealed that ‘he was born in Austin’, which came as a surprise since his official birthplace had been listed as Perth. “It’s always been like very close to my heart, you know, your birthplaces. It’s pretty real, you know, it never leaves you,” he said.

In another interview, Ricciardo spoke about how his initial experiences in Austin made him fall in love with the place. “My very first memory of going to Austin was the first night we went to a bar on Rainey Street and I just thought the concept of Rainey Street was so cool.” 

He loved how freely people dressed without fear of getting judged. He saw diversity in the crowd and how everyone enjoyed their time together.

Another place that made Ricciardo feel quite welcome in Austin was ‘The White Horse’. The music matched his vibe and he even tried to dance, despite it not being a glamorous or classy place. The food also felt quite homely, he revealed.

Could the Honey Badger move to Austin permanently someday? No one knows. Given that his F1 career is seemingly over, and he is focusing on his businesses, it isn’t completely impossible.

However, it was a shame that he didn’t get to race in Austin in his (supposed) farewell F1 season.

Ricciardo would’ve loved to sign off in Austin

In 2024, Ricciardo got a chance to race in front of his real home crowd in Melbourne, where he finished P12. But in his mind, there was another home race for him to look forward to – the United States GP in Austin.

However, his season wasn’t going according to plan. He had joined RB (Red Bull’s sister team) in 2023 to become Max Verstappen’s teammate again. But his performances were so dismal, that holding on to his seat became difficult.

The Faenza-based outfit decided to sack Ricciardo after the 2024 Singapore GP, the race preceding F1’s stop in Austin last October. It turned out to be a heartbreaking farewell for the 35-year-old, one that didn’t quite reflect the impact he had left on the sport.

Sadly for Ricciardo, even he wasn’t sure about when he would be asked to leave. There was uncertainty over Red Bull’s second seat, with Liam Lawson being a part of their long-term planning. As such, Ricciardo — who had been one of the most entertaining drivers on the grid since his debut — left on the most uneventful note.

Given the choice, Ricciardo would have wanted to avoid leaving altogether. But all things considered, Austin could have been the ideal place for him to sign off. The organizers had even planned a special tribute for him, one that RB and Red Bull ruined by axing him early.