A picture etched in the minds of NFL fans features Stefon Diggs, his face buried in his hands, witnessing the Kansas City Chiefs lift the trophy he fought hard for. As confetti rained on the victors, the Bills WR absorbed every minute of the agonizing defeat- a sentiment that resonates with F1 reserve driver, Daniel Ricciardo.
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After being booted by his team, Ricciardo now spends his season watching Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez enjoy the champagne showers he was once accustomed to. From being one of the chosen 20, Ricciardo is now pacified with a role in the sidelines.
But that isn’t as bad as it seems. As Diggs had revealed about his 2021 AFC championship Kodak moment, “It definitely hurt me in the moment… but I know I’m a champion, I know I’m a winner.” And as Ricciardo reveals, this is the same mantra running in his head.
Stefon Diggs moment hits hard for Daniel Ricciardo
The 8-time GP winner sat down with the Pardon My Take podcast and reflected upon his year off the grid. Listening to his words of resilience and determination, PFT Commenter poignantly drew comparisons between the Red Bull Reserve Driver and the Bills WR.
The podcast host explained Diggs’ mindset on the field at that moment, “so that he [Diggs] would have that feeling inside him like, ‘I want to get better. I want to remember this feeling so that I want even more to work harder in the off-season, and overcome everything’.”
Consequently, he asked Ricciardo a hard-hitting question. “Every time you see somebody on the podium that’s on your team that’s not you- you’re probably thinking ‘yeah, that’s going to be me, that’s going to be me one day’.”
Especially with Verstappen and Perez cruising through the championship this season, the thorns would be sharp for Ricciardo, as that quite easily could be him. However, he shares the same mentality as Stefon Diggs.
“What you said there is very accurate. A lot of us think like that. You kind of want to put yourself in a bit of a painful situation to give you that drive.”
Ricciardo still hungry for rightful F1 championship
Most people can argue that Ricciardo was a World Champion in waiting. His years with Red Bull were nothing short of glorious, but after he left, the title only drifted further from his grasp, and his name. However, this doesn’t mean he is a driver capable of fighting for victories again.
In fact, Ricciardo continues to believe he’s one of the best on the grid. Ricciardo explains his new perspective tailored to this new role. “There is certainly a very big part of me that still feels that [he’s the best driver in the world]. I’m kind of holding myself, and this is maybe to keep that fire there. I still want to prove that to myself.”
As a Bills fan himself, Ricciardo can draw inspiration from the Bills player. Ricciardo knows what he’s capable of, and being surrounded by his equals doing what he can do will not water him down. Taking a page from the Diggs playbook, it’s time for Honey Badger to dwell on the pain, and return to his rightful spot as one of the best late-brakers the sport has seen.
