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.
Ricciardo and his race engineer Pierre Hamelin were very pleased with the results, and rightly so! The duo was spotted enjoying a funny yet encouraging talk after the qualifying results. He shared his thoughts candidly, acknowledging his desire to win but emphasizing that his happiness and definition of success in this second phase of his career are not solely reliant on victories. Ricciardo made a bold decision at the end of 2018—leaving the highly competitive Red Bull to join Renault, a midfield team at the time. It shocked many fans, but Ricciardo believed in the long-term potential of Renault.
After leading for the first 28 laps, an MGU-K failure meant his horsepower was reduced by 25% while only being able to use six of his eight gears. Thanks to some stunning defensive manoeuvres, Ricciardo was able to hold off all comers for the win. It’s an experience that Ricciardo is familiar with, having previously been unable to secure a seat for the start of the 2023 F1 season and instead serving as the third driver for Red Bull. Ricciardo produced arguably the best race of his Formula 1 career to win the Monaco Grand Prix in 2018, when even pole position seemed like it would not be enough once again. Vettel was unable to deny his old Red Bull teammate pole position with the Ferrari pilot 0.229s off. “So that’s where I think all of us drivers have moments this year, but it’s been hard for someone to be consistently, at least in the midfield battle, to consistently be the guy, at least from what I’ve seen.
Despite scoring many points in the first part of the year, Ricciardo's engine blew up on the final lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix, while running in sixth, forcing him to use his fourth and final engine of the year. Ricciardo achieved his first top-five finish in Monaco with fifth and the fastest lap of the race. He had a woeful race at the Canadian Grand Prix, where he finished 13th after being hit by car issues. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo leaped from sixth on the grid to third during the pit stops, and in the last four laps, he overcame Sergio Pérez and Nico Rosberg to take his first win of his career. By winning, Ricciardo became the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix in Formula One, joining Jack Brabham, Alan Jones and Mark Webber.
Upon returning from the summer break, Ricciardo qualified fourth for the Belgian Grand Prix in wet conditions, ahead of his teammate who crashed out in Q3. The race on Sunday was delayed multiple times due to torrential rain and was abandoned after two laps behind the safety car. The following weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified in tenth, again ahead of his teammate.
His career stalled after a move to Renault at 2019, and after switching to McLaren in 2021, he was largely outclassed by Norris. His best finish in the championship was third in 2014 and 2016 — both years when Mercedes dominated the season and Ricciardo, then at Red Bull, was effectively best of the rest. “Look, I know how it is and how it works and I knew there was always going to be some dates and deadlines this year whether it was summer break or now post-Singapore. Elizabeth Blackstock is a motorsport journalist, historian, author, podcaster, and contributor at The Drive. While she’s centered the bulk of her work around Formula 1, if it has wheels and races, she has loved and covered it.
In the realm of racing, Daniel Ricciardo's quote encapsulates a profound truth that extends far beyond the tracks. "Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude and self-belief" speaks to the strength of one's mindset and confidence in achieving success. Ricciardo reminds us that our mental state holds incredible force and can help us overcome any obstacle that comes our way. With a positive outlook and unwavering self-belief, we are empowered to push through challenges, adapt to adversity, and reach new heights.
“It was planned for Daniel Ricciardo to be honoured by the city of Austin with the "Keys to the City" during next weekend's US GP. After the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo answered the media with a solemn tone. After an epic opening lap in which Norris passed Ricciardo and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in one fell swoop, Ricciardo responded with a Turn 12, Lap 8 pass on Norris that was as clean as a whistle. This is surely the funniest moment of the budding Ricciardo-Norris ‘bromance’ so far. At a press conference ahead of last year's British Grand Prix, and with Lewis Hamilton sat between the two talking about his moustache to a reporter, Norris and Ricciardo started whispering to each other. Ricciardo lit up the 2019 French Grand Prix with a typically gung-ho approach that put him up to a sterling P7 – but the stewards were none too impressed.
However, following a red flag, he had a poor second start, which dropped him down to tenth place. At the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, he had a chance of a podium after Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Sergio Pérez all collided in the first lap of the race. But a mistimed second pit stop caused Ricciardo to be overtaken, ending the race in fifth place.
From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi. As Verstappen’s nearest rival in the drivers’ championship, the stolen point could prove to be crucial if the championship fight goes down to the wire. However, Ricciardo performed one more act of service for his former Red Bull team-mate Verstappen in Singapore, after he set the fastest lap and snatched the point off Lando Norris. "And frankly, in my racing career so far, I've never had that much to do with a team-mate. Daniel Ricciardo definitely didn’t expect such a great start to the sprint race after the team’s struggles.
But he refused to yield the spot to Hamilton as the Mercedes driver hit the circuit directly in front, lifting off the brakes and sending his Red Bull around the outside. Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty ImagesWhile the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix saw Ricciardo score his first win in Formula 1, the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix and the 2021 Italian Grand Prix proved to be two of his best wins. It was pain in the Principality for the Perth native in 2016 but Ricciardo put that in his past in 2018.