How Daniel Ricciardo went from a ‘shy’ teenager to one of F1’s most effervescent characters

Daniel Ricciardo is known as one of Formula One’s most likeable characters and fearsome racers.

The Australian has put together a resumé that many drivers would be jealous of – an eight-time race winner who has finished on the podium 32 times, good enough for 35th on the all-time list.

He has placed in the top three of the World Drivers’ Championship twice and bested the legendary Sebastian Vettel in the standings in the four-time champion’s final season at Red Bull Racing. But arguably his most impressive ability is his longevity. Ricciardo made his debut in 2011 and has raced in 14 straight F1 seasons, scoring 1,329 points across 256 races.

And he’s done it all with his trademark smile spread across his face.

Nicknamed the “Honey Badger” due to his amicable persona but fierce tendencies on the racetrack, Ricciardo has gone from a fresh-faced, inexperienced 21-year-old to a seasoned veteran known for being the latest of brakers and one of the bravest overtakers. Among the sport’s more popular figures, he is aware of the role that he can play in establishing a path for the next generation.

“Something I realize the older I get is that I do have that platform or that ability perhaps to inspire someone else who was just like me at five, six, 10 years old, whatever it is,” Ricciardo said, sitting down exclusively with CNN Sport. “And that’s cool. You know, recognizing that, I’d love to give a kid something to aim for.”

He is even happy to share his experiences with his competitors and help out where he can – at 35 years old, he is currently the fourth-oldest driver on the grid.

“No problem with being the older guy and try to lend some wisdom,” he laughed.

From the Land Down Under

Ricciardo was born in Perth in the state of Western Australia and grew up with aspirations of becoming a Formula One driver. His new film, “Drive the Dream 2,” pays tributes to his roots.

Ricciardo and his lifelong best friend, Blake Mills, team up to take a road trip around their home state, exploring the scenery and culture of the region.

“Myself and Blake, my best friend, we grew up together. We actually raced together in go karts,” Ricciardo explained. “He’s traveled around the world to come and spend time with me, watch me race, and we were like, ‘Alright, let’s hang out and spend some time together, but let’s travel our own state and let’s explore Western Australia.’”

The trip included a visit to Ngilgi Cave, an important site in Australian Aboriginal mythology.

“Josh was our Aboriginal elder who took us down there and showed us around …everything inside, I’ve never really experienced anything like that,” he said. “He talked us through it and then, got out his didgeridoo and started playing, which is obviously a very iconic Australian instrument. And it was so quiet and peaceful down there.

“Growing up in Australia and just getting a little bit more education about the land, that was something I really enjoyed.”

The pair also try their hand at high-octane sports, such as surfing and mountain biking.

“Racing is kind of my adrenaline rush, it gives me that adrenaline dump,” said Ricciardo. “But when I’m not racing, I still search for something like that … I haven’t taken up golf yet.”

Australia has a history of success in F1. Despite only producing 15 drivers who have started at least one Grand Prix, the country has been represented on the podium 137 times and 44 occasions on the top step.

Two Australian drivers have also won the World Drivers’ Championship – the legendary Jack Brabham claimed the title in 1959 and 1960 before becoming the first and only driver to win the championship in his own car in 1966, driving for the Brabham team that bore his name; Alan Jones became the second Aussie champion in 1980.

Ricciardo became the 14th Australian driver to start a race when he made his debut for HRT F1 Team in 2011. He shared the grid with compatriot and nine-time race winner Mark Webber, who he then replaced at Red Bull three years later.

He currently races against the sport’s newest race winner in Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri, who replaced Ricciardo at McLaren in 2023, with Jack Doohan set to become the 16th Australian F1 driver when he joins Alpine for the 2025 season.

Ricciardo said that he is “very proud” to represent his country in F1, blazing a trail for the next wave of Aussie drivers.

“We’re a very sporting nation and motorsport is growing a lot,” Ricciardo said. “And it’s really nice also not only to represent the country, but to hopefully inspire the next generation.”

‘Never fully satisfied’

Ricciardo’s F1 career has been a story of ups and downs. After joining HRT in the middle of 2011 and spending his rookie campaign with the Spanish outfit, he moved to Red Bull’s junior team, then known as Toro Rosso, where he spent two seasons before getting the call up to the main team.

He faced the unenviable task of replacing the ever-reliable Webber and partnering with Vettel, the man who was fresh off winning four straight world titles.

The Aussie did more than just hold his own, however. He claimed his first win at round seven in Canada and took back-to-back victories in Hungary and Belgium later in the year. He finished on the podium eight times that season and placed third in the championship – behind the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and ahead of Vettel, who was fifth.

Four more productive years at the Austrian team followed. Ricciardo took the uncompetitive RB11 to the podium twice in 2015 and finished third again in 2016, then claimed four more victories in the middle of the Mercedes-dominated turbo-hybrid era, including a memorable win in Monaco in 2018.

That year turned out to be Ricciardo’s last with Red Bull, leaving at the end of the season to join Renault. His departure from the team coincided with then-teammate Max Verstappen signing a new long-term contract.

After two years with the French outfit, Ricciardo made an ill-fated move to McLaren, where he struggled to find the race pace that he was famous for and was often unable to match teammate Lando Norris in 2021 and 2022. His first season with the British manufacturer did have one spectacular highlight, though, as he claimed his most recent victory and McLaren’s first since 2012 at the Italian Grand Prix.

Left without a seat for 2023, F1 experienced a Ricciardo-less grid for the first time in over a decade. However, prior to the season, he opted to return to the Red Bull family as the team’s test and reserve driver, a gamble that turned out to be a masterstroke. He replaced Dutchman Nyck de Vries mid-season at the junior team, renamed to AlphaTauri and rebranded as the “sister team” to Red Bull.

Having now driven for five different teams, and four in the last six years, Ricciardo said he has gained valuable experience from moving around the grid and being forced into new opportunities.

“Jumping across teams, it can be unsettling at times,” he told CNN. “But it’s also an opportunity to grow and learn from because you’re throwing yourself in a new environment with new people. Obviously, everyone has their own way of working, so it’s a chance to pick up some new techniques or some new ways about working or discipline or work ethic, whatever it is.”

Ricciardo has done pretty much all there is to do in F1, but his ultimate goal has eluded him throughout his career.

“I’m proud. Like, don’t get me wrong, if it ended today, I would be proud of what I’ve done,” he said. “But on the same note, you’re never fully satisfied because the reason I got into Formula One was to try to become world champion.

“I’ve finished third a few times, I was very proud of those seasons. I’ve won some races. So yeah, I’m still happy with some days I’ve had in the sport or some years I’ve had, but ultimately the goal was to be world champion, and that’s something I’ll obviously still try and achieve until the day I retire.

“I can still be proud without it because I’ve put the effort in. But yeah, I still want to add that. That would give me 100% the full picture of happiness and satisfaction,” he added.

Red Bull realities

Ricciardo’s return to Red Bull marked a full circle moment for the Aussie, having joined the team’s academy in 2008.

The sister team was once again re-named ahead of the 2024 season, taking up the catchy title of Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, referred to as RB. The team currently sits sixth in the constructors’ standings, with Ricciardo 14th in the drivers’ championship.

Drivers associated with Red Bull often face intense scrutiny, with the company notorious for being ruthless with its racers and making swift changes to its lineups if drivers aren’t performing. De Vries, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly have all fallen victim to the Red Bull axe in recent years, but Ricciardo welcomes the pressure, saying that it’s something that he “got used to and learned to love.”

He added: “When I got into the sport and moved to Europe, I was – maybe some people would find it hard to believe – I was quite a shy, not the most confident individual. And I think I was also … just quite young and immature. So getting signed up by the Red Bull program when I was 18 … having that responsibility, that pressure, all of that, it forced me to grow up.

“Yes, there is that pressure that comes with being in the Red Bull family, but I know that is what gets the most out of me. I think because I’m a fairly relaxed individual, sometimes I need a little bit of that to shake me up and say, ‘Let’s go.’”

Ricciardo is out of contract at the end of the year and there is currently pressure on him to perform for opposing reasons. Highly touted Red Bull junior Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings for a full-time shot in F1, having filled in for an injured Ricciardo in 2023.

If Ricciardo delivers for the rest of the season, however, he will continue to be linked with a move up the grid. Despite having a contract for the next two seasons, incumbent Red Bull second driver Sergio Pérez is on the hotseat after recent struggles.

Ricciardo explained that he is looking for stability as his career winds down, but could a remarkable return to the team where he won his first race be on the cards?

“Where I’m at currently, I would like to have my eyes set on one particular goal and have not too much noise on the side,” he said.

Whatever the future holds for the Australian, it is likely to be just as must-see as the rest of his career.

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