40 Facts About Daniel Ricciardo You Should Know

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Known for his bubbly, optimistic personality, Daniel Ricciardo has become one of the most popular figures on the F1 grid in recent years. Unfortunately, a run of poor form has left him without a seat for the 2023 season. Here are 40 facts about Daniel Ricciardo that you should know.

Table of Contents

1. When Was Daniel Ricciardo Born?

Daniel Ricciardo was born on the 1st of July 1989 in Perth, Western Australia. He was born to Italian-Australian parents, hence his surname, ‘Ricciardo.’ Racing runs in his family, with his father Giuseppe being a keen racer himself. 

2. Where Did Daniel Ricciardo Go To School?

Daniel Ricciardo went to school at the Newman College in Perth, Western Australia. The school operates in the Marist tradition, a subsection of the Catholic church. 

3. Is Daniel Ricciardo Left Handed?

Daniel Ricciardo is not left-handed, he is right-handed. This was emphasized when he had to do an unconventional left-handed launch at the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix, a move which he had not previously practiced. 

4. How Many Languages Can Daniel Ricciardo Speak?

Daniel Ricciardo speaks 2 languages, English and Italian. His knowledge of Italian comes from his family’s roots, as well as from the time he spent in Italy as part of the Toro Rosso team. He has also said in interviews that he has a very minimal knowledge of the French language. 

5. When Did Daniel Ricciardo Start Karting?

Daniel Ricciardo started karting at the age of nine, racing for the Tiger Kart Club team. He began his karting journey racing in events across Western Australia before moving up to the Formula Ford single-seater category in 2005. 

6. Did Daniel Ricciardo Race In F3?

Daniel Ricciardo first raced in F3 in 2008, taking part in two races in the Formula 3 Euro Series. He returned to F3 the following season, winning the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship by a huge margin of 87 points. These are different series from modern FIA Formula 3.

7. Did Daniel Ricciardo Race In F2?

Daniel Ricciardo did not race in F2. After his stint in Formula 3, he raced in the Formula Renault 3.5 series during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, before getting his first starts in Formula 1 with the HRT team halfway through the 2011 season. 

8. What Was Daniel Ricciardo’s First Team?

Daniel Ricciardo’s first team in F1 was HRT. He joined them halfway through the 2011 season, replacing Narain Karthikeyan. HRT were a struggling team, often taking their place at the back of the grid. However, they allowed Ricciardo to gain vital experience in a Formula 1 car.

9. When Was Daniel Ricciardo’s First F1 Race?

Daniel Ricciardo’s first F1 race was at the 2011 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. A poor qualifying session meant that Ricciardo started the race from the back of the grid. Things didn’t get better for him during the race, and he struggled to keep up with the rest of the field, finishing in 19th.

10. Why Is Daniel Ricciardo Number 3?

Daniel Ricciardo uses the number 3 as his driver number as a reference to his childhood hero Dale Earnhardt, who also used the number 3 during his time racing in NASCAR. Ricciardo had the number 3 on his first ever go-kart and has used it in F1 since 2014.

11. Why Did Daniel Ricciardo Leave Red Bull?

Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull as he could see himself quickly becoming second driver when Max Verstappen joined the team midway through the 2016 season. He also had doubts over the team’s future and wasn’t certain that Red Bull’s new engine partnership with Honda would be successful.

12. Does Daniel Ricciardo Regret Leaving Red Bull?

Daniel Ricciardo has insisted that he has no regrets over leaving Red Bull after the 2018 season, despite the team’s upturn in form since his departure. He has previously stated that he needed a new challenge at the time, and that he prefers to live in the present rather than in the past. 

13. Who Replaced Daniel Ricciardo At Red Bull?

Red Bull replaced Daniel Ricciardo with Frenchman Pierre Gasly in 2019. Gasly was promoted from the Toro Rosso team following Ricciardo’s departure, but failed to see out the season, being replaced by Alexander Albon just 13 races into the season. 

14. Why Did Daniel Ricciardo Go To Renault?

Daniel Ricciardo went to Renault because he was excited by the project they were undertaking. He wanted to feel appreciated as a number one driver and help to take Renault back to the front of the grid again. He was also signed on a very large contract.

15. How Did Daniel Ricciardo Perform At Renault?

Daniel Ricciardo performed fairly well at Renault, achieving two podiums in two years with the team. In his first season, he finished ninth in the Drivers’ Championship. He finished fifth in his second season, so he definitely improved as he spent more time with the team.

16. Why Did Daniel Ricciardo Leave Renault?

Daniel Ricciardo left Renault because he believed McLaren had more of a chance of being successful in the years to come. He was also excited by the fact that McLaren had agreed a deal to use Mercedes engines from the start of the 2021 season. 

17. When Did Daniel Ricciardo Move To McLaren?

Daniel Ricciardo moved to McLaren for the start of the 2021 season, replacing Carlos Sainz Jr, who had completed a move to Ferrari. He finished his first season with McLaren in eighth place, with mixed results throughout the season, including a memorable win at Monza. 

18. Why Did Daniel Ricciardo Go To McLaren?

Daniel Ricciardo went to McLaren as he believed they had a more exciting project going on than Renault, whom he left after 2020. He was also excited by the prospect of joining a team powered by Mercedes, after McLaren signed a contract with the German manufacturer for the 2021 season. 

19. Why Didn’t Daniel Ricciardo Go To Ferrari?

Daniel Ricciardo never went to Ferrari as he believed he would have been the team’s second driver behind young prospect Charles Leclerc. Ricciardo wanted to avoid the same situation that had happened at Red Bull, where he felt his position as number one driver was under threat from Max Verstappen.

20. Is Daniel Ricciardo A Good Driver?

Daniel Ricciardo is one of the better drivers on the grid when he is in good form. His ability to attack corners by braking later than most drivers has served him well in the past, although his consistency and high levels of performance have dropped considerably in recent seasons.

21. What Is Daniel Ricciardo’s Driving Style?

Daniel Ricciardo has an aggressive driving style that involves him braking later than his rivals around corners. This is where he makes up most of his time in races. He is also nicknamed the honey badger due to his fearlessness around the track and desire to take the fight to his rivals.

22. Does Daniel Ricciardo Come From Money?

Daniel Ricciardo does not come from money. Although he didn’t come from a millionaire family, Ricciardo did not have a tough upbringing. His father was a mining engineer of Italian heritage.

23. Is Daniel Ricciardo A Pay Driver?

Daniel Ricciardo is not a pay driver. He worked his way up the racing ladder as part of the Red Bull junior driver program, which helped to fund his ascent to Formula 1. He didn’t come from a millionaire family like some of his contemporaries, instead hailing from a working-class family.

24. Why Is Daniel Ricciardo Famous?

As well as being famous for his successful career as a Formula 1 driver, Daniel Ricciardo is known for his bubbly, smiley persona off-track, which has earned him many fans across the world. He has also been part of teams such as Red Bull and McLaren, both of which have enormous global fan bases. 

25. Why Is Daniel Ricciardo So Popular?

Daniel Ricciardo is popular because of his happy and bright personality, which has earned him the adoration of fans across the world. He was also a major part of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which helped him to become one of the most well-liked members on the F1 grid.

26. Which Races Has Daniel Ricciardo Won?

Daniel Ricciardo has won 8 races overall, starting with the Canadian, Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix in 2014, the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2016, Baku in 2017 and the Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix in 2018. His most surprising victory came with McLaren in Monza 2021.

27. What Does Daniel Ricciardo Get Paid?

Daniel Ricciardo was being paid around $13.5 million per season at McLaren before they paid his contract off. Although he will no longer be on such a large salary, he has most definitely saved up enough money to live a comfortable life. 

28. What Was Daniel Ricciardo’s Salary At Renault?

Daniel Ricciardo was earning a wage of $35 million a year during his time at Renault. This was an astonishing amount, especially when compared to the rest of the grid’s earnings. This wage speaks volumes of the hopes that Renault had for Ricciardo when he first signed for them.

29. What Is Daniel Ricciardo’s Net Worth?

Daniel Ricciardo is said to have a net worth of $96 million. This has come from the many big money contracts that Ricciardo has signed throughout his time in Formula 1. He has also benefitted from large sponsorship deals, as well as having started his very own wine range in Australia. 

30. Why Is Daniel Ricciardo Paid So Much?

Daniel Ricciardo is paid so much because of the experience that he has in the sport. When he first signed for McLaren, he was still seen as one of the biggest names in the sport, and most teams on the grid would likely have wished to sign him. 

31. What Cars Does Daniel Ricciardo Have?

Daniel Ricciardo has an extensive collection of cars, ranging from an Aston Martin Valkyrie, a McLaren 675 LT, a Porsche 918 Spyder, and a McLaren 720S. He also owns a Renault Megane from his time at the Renault F1 team and a Toyota Hilux.

32. How Much Was Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren Contract Worth?

Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren contract was believed to be worth at least $13.5 million a year. This figure was set to increase for the 2023 season, which is partially why McLaren made the decision to pay the rest of his contract off rather than let it run down. 

33. Will Daniel Ricciardo Ever Win A Championship?

The chances of Daniel Ricciardo ever winning a championship are extremely slim. He looks as though he is about to leave F1 for good after breaking off with McLaren, and there are no competitive teams willing to take him. His best chance at a championship may have come and gone with Red Bull.

34. When Does Daniel Ricciardo’s Contract End?

Daniel Ricciardo’s contract will end at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season. It was originally intended to be longer, but Ricciardo’s poor form caused McLaren to sign Oscar Piastri, who replaces Ricciardo in 2023. McLaren paid off the remainder of Ricciardo’s contract.

35. Will Daniel Ricciardo Go Back To Red Bull?

Daniel Ricciardo will not go back to Red Bull as a full-time driver. They currently have a settled partnership with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and signing a fading Daniel Ricciardo would not make any sense. He could return as a reserve driver though.

36. Will Daniel Ricciardo Go To Mercedes?

Daniel Ricciardo will not go to Mercedes as a main driver. Mercedes currently have a settled partnership with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. There is still the possibility of Mercedes taking Ricciardo on as a reserve driver, although no plans have been announced for such a move.

37. Will Daniel Ricciardo Be In F1 In 2023?

It looks unlikely that Daniel Ricciardo will remain in F1 for the 2023 season. He has been replaced at McLaren by Oscar Piastri, and with only two seats available for the 2023 season, his chances are fading. He has also recently stated that he intends to take a break from the sport.

38. Is Daniel Ricciardo Going To Formula E?

Daniel Ricciardo reportedly has zero interest in moving into Formula E for the 2023 season. The likelihood is that Ricciardo will take a break from motor racing before attempting a return to Formula 1 for the 2024 season. 

39. Where Will Daniel Ricciardo Race In 2023?

It is unlikely that Daniel Ricciardo will race anywhere in 2023. He has recently stated that he plans on taking a well-earned break from Formula 1, ahead of a potential return to the sport for the start of the 2024 season. This could mean we haven’t seen the last of the Australian in F1. 

40. Has Daniel Ricciardo Raced In Other Motorsports?

Aside from his time in karting and the lower formula divisions, Daniel Ricciardo has spent the majority of his racing career in Formula 1. He hasn’t branched out into other disciplines such as endurance racing or NASCAR.

Final Thoughts

Daniel Ricciardo is one of the most well-liked F1 drivers, and he is also one of the fastest when he’s on top of his game. Sadly, a few lackluster seasons at McLaren resulted in him losing his drive for 2023 and beyond, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see Ricciardo back in F1 as a full-time driver.