Daniel Ricciardo
Who was Daniel Ricciardo?
Formula One driver who has won eight Grand Prix races and is known for his attacking driving style and signature shoey celebration.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Daniel Ricciardo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Daniel Joseph Ricciardo is an Australian Formula One driver, born on July 1, 1989, in Perth, Western Australia, to Italian-Australian parents. Known as "the Honey Badger" for his fierce racing style, Ricciardo raced in Formula One from 2011 to 2024, winning eight Grand Prix races over fourteen seasons. He began karting at age nine and progressed through junior formulae, winning the 2008 Formula Renault 2.0 WEC and the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship with Carlin.
Ricciardo made his Formula One debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix with HRT as part of the Red Bull Junior Team, replacing Narain Karthikeyan for the rest of the season. He earned a full-time seat with Toro Rosso in 2012 and 2013, then moved to Red Bull Racing in 2014, replacing the retiring Australian Mark Webber and joining four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel. His breakthrough season had him finishing third in the championship, with wins at the Canadian, Hungarian, and Belgian Grands Prix.
After a successful stint with Red Bull, where he also won races in Malaysia (2016), Azerbaijan (2017), and China and Monaco (2018), Ricciardo surprised many by moving to Renault in 2019. Over his two seasons with Renault, he achieved several podiums and a fifth-place finish in the championship in 2020. In 2021, he joined McLaren with Lando Norris and secured his eighth and final Formula One win at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Besides his racing success, Ricciardo is known for his charismatic personality and signature "shoey" celebration, where he drinks champagne from his racing boot on the podium. He received the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2015 and was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022. He attended Newman College in Perth before fully committing to his racing career.
Before Fame
Growing up in Perth, Ricciardo got into motorsport thanks to his family's Italian roots and Australia's strong racing scene. He started competitive karting at nine and quickly showed a natural talent that led him through various junior levels. His move from regional Formula Ford in 2005 to winning major European championships in just four years shows how quickly modern Formula One prospects can develop.
Getting into Formula One in the late 2000s meant proving yourself in several junior series. Ricciardo followed this well-trodden path through Formula Renault and Formula 3. His link with the Red Bull Junior Team gave him the essential support to reach Formula One, as the energy drink company was a major entry point for young drivers at the time.
Key Achievements
- Won eight Formula One Grand Prix races across four different teams (Red Bull, McLaren)
- Finished third in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 2014 and 2016
- Became the first driver to win races for both Red Bull Racing and McLaren since the energy drink company entered Formula One
- Received Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2015
- Appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 2022 for services to motorsport
Did You Know?
- 01.His signature 'shoey' celebration of drinking champagne from his racing boot became so popular that other drivers and celebrities began adopting it at various events
- 02.He was the first Australian to win a Formula One race since Mark Webber in 2012, ending a brief drought for Australian success in the sport
- 03.His 2018 Monaco Grand Prix victory came despite losing significant power from his Red Bull car, requiring him to manage the engine for most of the race while holding off Sebastian Vettel
- 04.He appeared in the Netflix documentary series 'Drive to Survive,' becoming one of the most popular drivers featured due to his outgoing personality and media-friendly approach
- 05.His move from Red Bull to Renault in 2019 was considered one of the most surprising driver transfers in recent Formula One history, as he left a race-winning team for a midfield constructor
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year | 2015 | — |
| Member of the Order of Australia | 2022 | — |