During the 2022 summer break, Daniel Ricciardo announced that he would be leaving McLaren at the end of the year, leaving him without a seat for 2023. The Australian, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2011 with HRT, has daniel ricciardo best moments become one of the most beloved drivers, known for his funny personality and big smile. With speculation surrounding his future in Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo remembers some of the best moments from his career to date.
The Dutch GP left Ricciardo conceding that his campaign had hit rock bottom in one of the worst moments of his Formula 1 career. It was also hardly the advert he wanted to deliver potential suitors with Alpine, Williams, Haas and AlphaTauri in the market for 2023 drivers. Losing his seat at McLaren even left Ricciardo off the Formula 1 grid entirely for the start of 2023. He instead had to accept a reserve driver role at Red Bull, which led to replacing Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri 11 rounds into the season and returning to the junior team in Faenza. The race started with rain, so all drivers started with intermediate tires, which caused many accidents and retirements from the earliest moments of the race. On lap 23, Sergio Perez had a bad accident that brought the Safety Car, so Ricciardo took the opportunity to switch to dry tires and opt for a two-stop strategy.
It’s little wonder, then, that he features heavily in our compilation of the funniest press conferences from years gone by below. In his prime, Ricciardo fought for race wins and delivered indelible moments while gamely acting as a vulnerable, smiling, shoey-slurping face of the sport as it surged into a broader cultural awareness. He's also pinned his last two years on a return to form with RB that hasn't materialized. He dropped to ninth in the driver’s championship but was able to move up to fifth again during the 2020 season. He then announced that he was leaving Renault and joining McLaren, beginning with the 2021 season.
By viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, individuals can harness their full potential and achieve extraordinary things. Daniel Ricciardo's quote "Believe in yourself even when no one else does" serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of unwavering self-belief. In moments where doubt and skepticism surround us, it is easy to lose faith in our own abilities and succumb to external opinions. However, Ricciardo encourages us to remain steadfast and resilient in our belief, regardless of the lack of support from others.
Ricciardo won the Hungarian Grand Prix on 27 July, ahead of Alonso and Hamilton having started fourth. He was in third place behind Alonso and Hamilton with less than four laps remaining and overtook Hamilton's Mercedes with a pass on the outside of the Hungaroring's turn two. He then easily caught and passed Alonso's Ferrari, as Alonso had very little grip left on his tyres – television footage of his left front tyre after the race showed it to be badly blistered. His teammate Vettel survived a spin coming onto the main straight late in the race to finish seventh. Ricciardo became the second Australian to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, after Mark Webber's victory – also for Red Bull – in 2010. Ricciardo then went on to score his third victory of his career to go back to back in Belgium, after the two Mercedes drivers collided.
It was a parting gift of sorts to another old teammate Max Verstappen, who is fighting Norris for the championship. After a Q1 exit in qualifying, Ricciardo was up against it in the race and finished 18th after pitting three times in what is widely believed to be his last ever race. Lawson took part in five F1 races last year, with a best finish of ninth, as a replacement when Ricciardo broke his hand in a crash. “There’s ebbs and flows, there’s up and downs, there’s moments where you feel like there was an opportunity. That was the goal coming back into the sport after the little six months off, to try and fight my way back to the front of the grid and be in a top seat.
Ricciardo, meanwhile, has only finished in the points three times this season and hasn’t finished higher than 12th over his last four races. Daniel Ricciardo has opened up about his team's decision to change positions with Yuki Tsunoda during the Bahrain Grand Prix's final moments. The incident sparked a debate within the RB Formula 1 team, ending with the Japanese driver divebombing his Australian teammate during the cooldown lap.
Receive exciting Motorsport news, updates, and special offers straight to your inbox. Country singer Rob Baird even walked beside Ricciardo singing his hit, Dreams and Gasoline. It all left Ricciardo ‘a little embarrassed’ when he initially arrived at COTA riding the horse he called Horsey McHorse, having not known its name was Blue when applying for credentials.
Support within the paddock for Ricciardo persists, with figures like Eddie Jordan acknowledging his positive impact on a team's atmosphere, despite recent struggles. Ricciardo's return to the grid in 2024 with AlphaTauri , following a brief hiatus, was met with enthusiasm, reflecting confidence in his experience and skillset. This sentiment is echoed in Ricciardo's own reflections on the season ahead, where he sees potential for top-five finishes and possibly podiums if circumstances align. In the middle of the 2023 season, Ricciardo replaced one of the drivers at Scuderia AlphaTauri, the Red Bull–owned team formerly known as Toro Rosso where he had spent part of his early career. Soon afterward, he broke his left hand in a crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix and was sidelined for several months. Take enough blind corners at 190 miles per hour in a jet-powered bathtub on wheels and you might want luck on your side, too.
Through his words, Ricciardo encourages us to cultivate optimism and self-assurance, for they are the drivers of triumph in both racing and life. In the realm of motor racing, the ability to adapt to different situations swiftly and make split-second decisions can determine the line between triumph and defeat. In this demanding and high-stakes sport, where each corner and overtaking maneuver holds immense significance, being able to adjust to changing circumstances is indispensable. Whether it's dynamically altering weather conditions, unexpected track incidents, or sudden technical glitches, only those who possess the agility to adapt and fortitude to swiftly confront challenges can emerge victorious. He finished third in the F1 drivers’ championship in 2019 and 2020 before winning the title in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Ricciardo had taken third place in 2014 and 2016 but has never been higher than fifth since.
“A lot of emotions, because – look I’m aware it could be it, and I think it’s also just exhausted after the race,” Ricciardo explained. Post-race, he removed his gloves and rested his hands on his thighs, taking more than a minute to compose himself before climbing out of the car and pausing again. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy. When he finally began making his way back to the paddock, the Australian had to walk through an honor guard, of sorts, of supporters who were lined up applauding him. Yahoo Soccer is powered by OneFootball, the ultimate destination for news, live matches, scores, highlights, and more.