Back in 2022, Noted Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo was left disappointed with Michael Jordan’s dinner with fellow F1 racer Pierre Gasly. Gasly, a 27-year-old French driver, who currently races in the F1 for Alpine also used the occasion to post an image on Instagram with the Chicago Bulls legend. He initially thanked MJ for the ‘unforgettable dinner,’ also tagging the former NBA star.
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Ricciardo, however, known to be a long-term Michael Jordan fan, was left fuming. This resulted in a hilarious comment from Ricciardo. The post and the response were shared by Motorsports.com on Twitter.
“I actually think I would cry,” he said.
In the exposition of this story, Ricciardo had been a huge Jordan fan, right from when he was little. The now 34-year-old had MJ’s pictures adorning his bedroom wall and claimed that his interest in basketball finished the day Jordan retired. Ricciardo claimed that it was simply amusing, how much Michael Jordan attracted him to the sport of basketball.
As a matter of fact, he had once revealed that Jordan was effectively the first real hero that he actually had. “When he was playing then I was playing basketball in the backyard, and as soon as he stopped, basketball was dead to me. It was crazy how much he drew me towards it. I think the real, like the first hero I ever really had, was Michael Jordan,” he had said.
Hence, being such a huge fan, Ricciardo was obviously jealous when he saw his fellow F1 driver having dinner with his idol. That was bound to result in a negative reaction, as Ricciardo himself does not seem to have gotten the chance to meet Jordan, as of yet. Surely that will change in the coming time.
Daniel Ricciardo once revealed how Michael Jordan influenced him in a crucial career win
Back in 2021, Ricciardo was out for revenge against none other than Max Verstappen, who had defeated him at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Both the drivers started in the front row, and Ricciardo ended up getting his revenge by winning the race.
When asked about how MJ helped him, Ricciardo revealed an interesting story.
“Like honestly, I tell you how it works. Anyone who has seen The Last Dance, there was the part where Jordan would use anything to fuel him, any comment, even if he would make it up in his head.”
Hence, not only does Ricciardo see MJ as an idol, but also uses his philosophies in order to succeed. Of course, just like Ricciardo who seems to have developed a love for basketball due to Jordan, MJ also appreciated motorsports. That is also apparent in his decision to buy the 23XI Racing NASCAR team. Jordan is the co-owner of the franchise alongside Joe Gibbs Racing driver and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
Surely, Jordan’s documentary has shown people deep inside the mind and life of MJ, and many have taken their learnings from the legend’s story. It has influenced a lot of lives.
