Daniel Joseph Ricciardo[3] was born on 1 July 1989 inPerth, Western Australia, toItalian-Australian parents.[4] His father, Giuseppe "Joe" Ricciardo, was born inFicarra (Messina), but relocated to Australia with his family at age seven.[5] Ricciardo's mother, Grace Pulitanò was born in Australia, but had parents originally fromCasignana (Calabria).[6][7][8][9] Ricciardo also has a sister; Michelle.[10] Growing up in Duncraig, Ricciardo's earliest memories of motorsports were of his father racing at the nearbyBarbagallo Raceway inWanneroo.[11] RaisedCatholic,[12] he attended high school atNewman College.[13] He started karting at the age of 9.[14]
In 2005, he entered the Western AustralianFormula Ford championship driving a 15-year-oldVan Diemen, finishing eighth by season's end.[15]
Towards the end of the 2005 season, Ricciardo took a leased 13-year-old Van Diemen across toSandown Raceway in Melbourne to compete at the nationalFormula Ford series, but his aging car was uncompetitive, and he finished 16th, 17th and retired during the weekend's three races.[16]
That year, Ricciardo was more successful in karts, in which he was crowned the Australian champion. His prizes for the win included a pass to the2006 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, where the then-16-year-old savoured a taste of his own future by chatting unnoticed with Italian driverJarno Trulli and Miss Universe 2004,Jennifer Hawkins.[17]
During the mid-part of the2008 season, Ricciardo made hisFormula Three debut at theNürburgring, joining SG Formula'sFormula 3 Euro Series team. Despite only a short amount of experience in the car, Ricciardo qualified in eighth for the first race, which later converted into sixth in the race afterJames Jakes andChristian Vietoris stalled on the grid. But he struggled in the reverse-grid race, finishing just fifteenth.[19]
Following a minor incident during a mountain bike exercise, Ricciardo was forced to miss the second test of the2010 season but went on to take pole position for both races at the season-opening round of the 2010 season inAlcañiz,Spain. He finished third and second in the races respectively, to leave himself at the head of the championship standings. Two weeks later, at theSpa-Francorchamps circuit, Ricciardo was relegated to last on the grid after being deemed to have hindered the laps of other drivers. In the next two races, he finished 13th and fifth respectively – coming 2nd in the latter, until many of the front-runners were given penalties for infringing the parc ferme rules before the race. One week later, inMonte Carlo, Ricciardo secured his thirdpole position of the season, finishing three-tenths of a second ahead of championship rivalStefano Coletti. He secured his first win at the following race, one place ahead of Coletti. Ricciardo went on to secure two more wins at theHungaroring and at theHockenheimring in commanding fashion. Following Ricciardo's sixth pole from 12 races,Tech 1 team boss, Simon Abadie, praised his driver's efforts greatly, saying, "I am happy, and happy for Daniel because six poles in 12 races is good going," and later stated his team's ambitions for success, by telling Autosport correspondent Peter Mills, "I really hopes Daniel wins the championship."[23]
At the first race at theSilverstone circuit, Ricciardo was involved in a spectacular incident with pole-sitterJon Lancaster, in which Ricciardo was sent into a barrel roll, eventually landing on his wheels. The crash saw the end of his race, with teammateJean-Éric Vergne becoming the eventual winner, following disqualifications. Securing pole for the second race of the weekend, Ricciardo spent much of the race leading the pack by upwards of three seconds. However, braking issues in the second half of the event meant that, on the final lap, championship-rivalEsteban Guerrieri was able to pass the Tech 1 racer.[24]
Going into the final round of the season, Ricciardo sat just three points behind championship leaderMikhail Aleshin and 13 ahead of third-place manEsteban Guerrieri. Managing his 8th pole of the season,[25] Ricciardo managed a lights-to-flag victory, setting the fastest lap and placing himself equal first with one race remaining.[26] After securing second place on the grid for the second race of the weekend, Ricciardo managed to hold position until the pit stops, where he was successfully 'jumped' by two of his rivals, including teammate Vergne. With only two laps left in the race and struggling for pace, Ricciardo was overtaken by championship rival Aleshin. Finishing in that order, Ricciardo failed to secure the title in his debut year, losing out to Mikhail Aleshin by only two points.[27]
Ricciardo made his track debut at the wheel of aFormula One car when he tested forRed Bull Racing at the young drivers test atCircuito de Jerez over three days, starting on 1 December 2009.[29] On the final day of testing, he clocked the fastest time of the test by over a second. This placed him as the only driver to go into the 1:17 bracket.[30]Red Bull Racing's team managerChristian Horner suggested that Ricciardo may replace his 2010 World Series teammate Hartley as the team's test and reserve driver.[31] Ricciardo and Hartley went on to share test and reserve duties for both Red Bull and sister teamScuderia Toro Rosso[32] until the latter was removed from the Red Bull Junior team.[33]
On 11 November 2010, Ricciardo was confirmed as the single driver to represent Red Bull Racing at the end-of-season young driver's test at theYas Marina Circuit, on 16–17 November.[34] Ricciardo continued to show his one-lap prowess and dominated the event, with his fastest lap being 1.3 seconds faster than2010 World ChampionSebastian Vettel's qualifying lap the Saturday before.[35] Days later, Ricciardo was confirmed as Toro Rosso's test and reserve driver for the2011 season and would take part in the first free practice session of each race weekend.[36][37] Franz Tost, Toro Rosso team principal stated that "having a hungry youngster on the books will keep our current driver pairing nice and sharp", referring to then Toro Rosso driversJaime Alguersuari andSébastien Buemi.[38]
On 30 June 2011, Ricciardo was loaned out by Red Bull toHispania Racing (later rebranded HRT), replacingNarain Karthikeyan for the remaining eleven races of the 2011 season and partnering former Red Bull and Toro Rosso driverVitantonio Liuzzi.[39][c] On the deal, HRT ownerJosé Ramón Carabante commented that he was "proud that the Formula One world champion team has trusted us in their effort of developing their drivers".[41] Ricciardo made his Grand Prix debut at theBritish Grand Prix,[42] where he qualified and finished last. Despite this, Red Bull advisorHelmut Marko described Ricciardo as "full of potential"[43] and suggested that he would likely one day replaceMark Webber at Red Bull Racing.[44]
Over his eleven races with HRT, Ricciardo recorded a best qualifying position of 21st at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix, and best race finishes of 18th place at theHungarian andIndian Grands Prix, leaving him 27th in the World Drivers' Championship. Writing in 2017,Sky Sports praised Ricciardo's efforts in 2011, judging him to have "[took] the fight" to teammate Liuzzi.[45]
Ricciardo was promoted to a full-time race seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso for the2012 season, partnering rookieJean-Éric Vergne.[46] At theAustralian Grand Prix, Ricciardo overtook Vergne late on the last lap to finish ninth, scoring his first two World Championship points.[47] His next points score would not be until eleven races later, where he qualified 16th and finished ninth at theBelgian Grand Prix.[48][49] This is despite having earlier qualified sixth at theBahrain Grand Prix;[50] he dropped outside the points after a poor start and front wing damage.[51] Improved results for Ricciardo and theSTR7 came in the latter stages of the year, with Ricciardo recording three consecutive points finishes at theSingapore,Japanese andKorean Grands Prix and a tenth-place finish at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix.[52][53][54][55] In his first full Formula One season, Ricciardo finished 18th in the championship with 10 points, compared to 16 points for teammate Vergne.[56]
Ricciardo and Vergne continued at Toro Rosso for the2013 season.[57][58] Ricciardo remarked that his target was to "beat [Vergne] convincingly" in order to earn a Red Bull Racing seat for2014.[59] He began the year by not finishing the opening two rounds, both due to exhaust issues. He then scored his best Formula One result thus far with seventh at theChinese Grand Prix.[60] Further points finishes came at theSpanish andBritish Grands Prix,[61][62] with Ricciardo having qualified a career-best fifth atSilverstone Circuit.[63] He again finished seventh at theItalian Grand Prix, having held offRomain Grosjean in the closing laps.[64]
Ricciardo ended the season 14th in the standings with 20 points, ahead of Vergne's total of 13.[65] During their time at Toro Rosso, Ricciardo qualified ahead of Vergne at 30 out of 39 races.[66] In September, he was chosen as the successor to the retiring Mark Webber at Red Bull Racing for the 2014 season.[67] Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner described Ricciardo as "a big star of the future",[68] andchief technical officerAdrian Newey explained that the team considered an experienced replacement—reports suggested thatKimi Räikkönen was close to signing for the team[69][70][71]—but that they ultimately decided to look within their junior roster, of which Ricciardo was the "most promising".[68]
Ricciardo partnered reigning four-time world championSebastian Vettel for his first season at Red Bull,[72][73] which he predicted would be "a great challenge".[68] Issues for the team during pre-season testing sessions put doubt on their ability to win a fifth consecutive championship,[74][75] with Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko commenting that the team was only aiming to "survive" the season-openingAustralian Grand Prix.[76] At his first Grand Prix with Red Bull, Ricciardo qualified second, ahead of Vettel,[77] and finished second behind theMercedes ofNico Rosberg. However, Ricciardo was later disqualified as his car was judged to have breached regulations on fuel flow.[78] He then retired from theMalaysian Grand Prix after a pit stop error and a wing failure,[79] but recorded his first points of 2014 at theBahrain Grand Prix, where he finished fourth after starting 13th.[80] He claimed his first Formula One podium five races into the season at theSpanish Grand Prix,[81] and followed this with another third-place finish at theMonaco Grand Prix, where he finished 0.4 seconds behindLewis Hamilton.[82]
At theCanadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo started sixth and gained three places during the pit stops. In the last four laps, he overtookSergio Pérez and Nico Rosberg to take the first win of his Formula One career.[83] This made him the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix in Formula One, joiningJack Brabham,Alan Jones and Mark Webber.[84][85] The result promoted Ricciardo to third place in the World Drivers' Championship.[86] He later achieved back-to-back victories at theHungarian Grand Prix,[87] where he overtook Hamilton andFernando Alonso in the closing laps,[88] and at theBelgian Grand Prix after the Mercedes drivers collided.[89] Further podiums came at theSingapore andUnited States Grands Prix.[90][91] He ended the season with a retirement due to suspension failure at theBrazilian Grand Prix and fourth place at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix despite starting from the pit lane due to running an illegal front wing in qualifying.[92][93]
Ricciardo ended his first season at Red Bull third in the World Drivers' Championship, having achieved three wins and five other podiums. He scored 238 points to Vettel's 167, and was the only non-Mercedes driver to win a race in 2014. He received widespread praise for his performances, with 2014 champion Lewis Hamilton describing him as "one of the best drivers here"[94] and Fernando Alonso hailing him as "unbelievable" and "very, very smart, very respectful".[95] William Esler ofSky Sports described him as the "standout performer" of the season,[96] and he was ranked as the best driver of 2014 by Jamie Klein ofMotorsport.com.[97] For his 2014 performances, Ricciardo won theLaureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in April 2015.[98]
For2015, Ricciardo was partnered at Red Bull by Toro Rosso graduateDaniil Kvyat following Vettel's departure from the team to joinFerrari;[99] team principal Christian Horner opined that Ricciardo's 2014 form was "probably a factor" in Vettel's decision.[100] He finished the opening race at theAustralian Grand Prix in sixth, theRB11 seemingly uncompetitive as he finished a lap behind the leaders, whilst teammate Kvyat broke down on theformation lap.[101] Horner described the car'sRenault engines as "undriveable" and Newey remarked that there was "no obvious light at the end of the tunnel".[102][103] Ricciardo's engine failed on the final lap of theBahrain Grand Prix—whilst running in sixth—forcing him to use his fourth and final engine of the year after only the fourth race.[104] He achieved his first top-five finish of 2015 at theMonaco Grand Prix with fifth place and the fastest lap of the race.[105] Car issues led to a 13th-place finish at theCanadian Grand Prix,[106] followed by both Red Bulls receiving grid penalties for exceeding their engine parts allocations at theAustrian Grand Prix and a retirement with electrical problems at theBritish Grand Prix.[107][108]
The team's first podium finish of 2015 came at round ten, theHungarian Grand Prix. Ricciardo and Nico Rosberg had made contact whilst battling for second place, but Ricciardo was able to finish third behind Kvyat despite stopping for a new front wing.[109] He recorded his second podium of the season at theSingapore Grand Prix, where he qualified and finished second, and set the fastest lap.[110] Ricciardo finished the season with 92 points in eighth place in the championship, compared to 95 points for Kvyat.[111] Red Bull failed to win a race for the first time since2008, but Ricciardo commented that the season's challenges had made him "a more complete driver".[112] Despite finishing behind Kvyat in the championship, Ricciardo qualified ahead of his teammate at twelve of the nineteen races.[113][114]
Ricciardo began the2016 season with fourth place at theAustralian Grand Prix.[115] The newRB12 appeared more competitive than its predecessor; Ricciardo told the media that despite still being behind the leading Mercedes and Ferrari cars, the RB12 was "not far off".[116] He qualified second and led early on at theChinese Grand Prix before a tyre failure dropped him back. He described his recovery to fourth as the best race of his career.[117] He gained a new teammate for theSpanish Grand Prix in 18-year-oldMax Verstappen after Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso.[118] Despite initially leading the race when the Mercedes drivers collided on the first lap, a three-stop strategy and another tyre puncture left him fourth in the race whilst Verstappen claimed victory.[119][120] Ricciardo scored his firstpole position at theMonaco Grand Prix and led the early wet stages of the race.[121] However, after a very long pitstop in which his team took nearly 40 seconds to ready a set of tyres, he lost the race lead to Lewis Hamilton and finished second.[122][123] Ricciardo was notably upset after the race result, saying: "Two weekends in a row I've been screwed now. It sucks. It hurts."[124]
Ricciardo returned to the podium five races later at theHungarian Grand Prix and followed this with second-place finishes at theGerman andBelgian Grands Prix.[125][126][127] These results promoted him to third in the standings behind the leading Mercedes drivers.[128] He qualified and finished second at theSingapore Grand Prix, less than half a second behind winner Nico Rosberg.[129][130] At theMalaysian Grand Prix, he benefited from a collision between Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel and a late-race engine failure for Hamilton to win the race, his first victory in over two years.[131][132] Christian Horner praised Ricciardo and Verstappen for their mutual respect, the two having battled over second place earlier in the race.[133] Ricciardo later sealed third place in the championship with two consecutive podiums at theUnited States andMexican Grands Prix.[134][135][136]
Ricciardo scored a total of 256 points during the season—compared to 212 in total for his Red Bull teammates—taking a win, seven further podiums, his first pole position and four fastest laps. He was acclaimed for his performances;RaceFans,Motorsport.com andMark Hughes atMotor Sport magazine rated him the best driver of 2016.[137][138][139] On his partnership with Verstappen, Ricciardo credited him with forcing "a step up" in his own driving.[140] Ricciardo became known during the season for his "shoey" celebration, first performed at the German Grand Prix, where he would pour champagne into his racing boot and drink out of it.[141] He persuaded others to drink from the boot, including podium interviewer Mark Webber,[142][143] team principal Horner and his fellow drivers.[144]
Ricciardo qualified tenth at theAustralian Grand Prix after spinning into the tyre barrier in Q3,[145] forcing him to fit a new gearbox and incur a grid penalty. He then started the race two laps down due to a gearbox sensor issue and ultimately retired with a fuel pressure problem.[146][147] Another mechanical retirement at round four, theRussian Grand Prix,[148] left him behind teammate Verstappen in the championship.[149] Ricciardo scored his first podium of the year at theSpanish Grand Prix—albeit finishing over a minute behind the leaders[150]—which marked the start of five consecutive podiums. He finished third again at theMonaco Grand Prix having utilised anovercut to pass Verstappen andValtteri Bottas,[151] and took another third place at theCanadian Grand Prix after Verstappen retired from second place.[152] At theAzerbaijan Grand Prix, a crash in qualifying and brake issues at the start of the race left Ricciardo in 19th place on lap five.[153] Multiple passes including a three-car overtake moved him up to third place, which became first place when Sebastian Vettel received a penalty and Lewis Hamilton was forced to pit to fix his loose headrest.[154] This secured his fifth Formula One race victory and promoted him to fourth place in the championship,[155][156] where he would remain for most of the season.
Aturbocharger failure in qualifying at theBritish Grand Prix relegated him to 19th on the grid,[157] but he produced a recovery drive to finish fifth.[158] This was followed at theHungarian Grand Prix by a collision between Ricciardo and Verstappen, which Ricciardo described as "amateur" and for which Verstappen apologised.[159] He returned to the podium at theBelgian Grand Prix,[160] with further top-three finishes at theSingapore,[161]Malaysian[162] andJapanese Grand Prix,[163] as well as a recovery to fourth place at theItalian Grand Prix having started 16th with an engine penalty.[164][165][166] The final four rounds of the season were impacted by mechanical issues for Ricciardo; he retired with an engine failure at theUnited States Grand Prix,[167] experienced a turbocharger failure at theMexican Grand Prix,[168] was forced to take another engine penalty at theBrazilian Grand Prix[169] and retired from fourth place with a hydraulics failure at theAbu Dhabi Grand Prix. This allowed Kimi Räikkönen to take fourth place in the championship from Ricciardo at the final race.[170]
Ricciardo ended 2017 fifth in the World Drivers' Championship with 200 points to Verstappen's 168, having recorded one win and eight other podiums. Despite his points advantage, Ricciardo qualified behind Verstappen at thirteen of the twenty races.[171] He was ranked the fourth-best driver of the year in anAutosport poll of the Formula One team principals.[172] BroadcasterJames Allen rated him similarly; he praised Ricciardo's performances as "hard to fault" but described Verstappen as a "massive roadblock" to Ricciardo's future championship hopes.[173]
Ricciardo started the2018 season with a fourth-place at theAustralian Grand Prix from eighth on the grid after a three-place penalty for speeding under red flag conditions.[174][175] At theBahrain Grand Prix, he recorded a non-finish after an electrical failure on the second lap,[176] the first of a series of mechanical issues that affected Ricciardo in 2018. He took a commanding victory at theChinese Grand Prix by almost nine seconds after starting sixth on the grid.[177][178] Running sixth for majority of the race, he and Verstappen both pitted for fresher tyres under the safety car on lap 30. Ricciardo then overtook five cars in a span of eight laps to win the race.[179] Ricciardo and Verstappen collided whilst contesting fourth place at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix, causing both cars to retire.[180][181] Following the race, Christian Horner stated that both drivers were ordered to apologise at the Red Bull factory.[182] Red Bull looked to be the favourites going into theMonaco Grand Prix, with Ricciardo breaking the lap record in practice.[183] He claimed his second career pole position and held off Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari to win the race, despite losing the use of two gears and his MGU-K,[184] reducing engine power by 25%.[185][186] He described the result as "redemption" for having lost the victory in Monaco two years earlier.[187] His win lifted him to third in the standings,[188] but this would ultimately turn out to be his last podium of the season.
Ricciardo suffered six reliability-related retirements in 2018.
Front wing damage and a late overtake by Kimi Räikkönen denied Ricciardo a podium finish at theFrench Grand Prix.[189] Further mechanical issues began at theAustrian Grand Prix where he retired from fourth place with a suspected exhaust failure.[190] This was followed by aDRS failure in qualifying at theBritish Grand Prix,[191][192] and then and engine penalty and later an engine failure at theGerman Grand Prix.[193][194] He recovered from 12th on the grid to finish fourth at theHungarian Grand Prix, but then suffered consecutive retirements at theBelgian andItalian Grands Prix, being caught up in a first-lap incident in the former and sustaining a clutch failure in the latter.[195][196] His engine failed again in qualifying at theJapanese Grand Prix,[197] but he was able to recover to fourth place in the race.[198] A battery failure then caused his elimination from theUnited States Grand Prix,[199] followed by a hydraulics failure at theMexican Grand Prix, for which he had qualified on pole position.[200] After the race, Ricciardo insisted that his car was "cursed" and said that he "didn't see the point" in doing the final two races of the season,[201][202] both of which he ultimately finished in fourth place.[203][204]
Ricciardo ended the season sixth in the championship with 170 points to Verstappen's 249,[205][206] and suffered eight retirements in twenty-one races. In August, he announced his shock departure from Red Bull after five years and revealed he would joinRenault for2019.[207][208] He stated that he was leaving Red Bull on good terms and said "I leave proud and I feel like I've given the team my all and had that in return".[209]ESPN and the Formula One team principals ranked him in their top five drivers of the year,[210][211] and Keith Collantine ofRaceFans commented that Verstappen had the "clear edge in outright speed", but that Ricciardo's "dependable points-scoring made him an asset the team will be worse off without".[212]
Ricciardo partneredNico Hülkenberg at Renault for the 2019 championship.[213][214] He justified the move by saying he was looking for "a fresh start somewhere else"[215] and that he was encouraged by the team's recent progress;[216] Renault's World Constructors' Championship results were ninth, sixth and fourth over the previous three years. Christian Horner stated that Red Bull "bent over backwards" to keep Ricciardo, but gave his opinion that Ricciardo left to avoid playing a "support role" for Verstappen in the future.[217]
Ricciardo began the season with retirements in the first two races. He collected damage from a broken front wing at theAustralian Grand Prix,[218] then both Renault cars stopped almost simultaneously with power failures in the closing laps of theBahrain Grand Prix whilst running in points-paying positions.[219] A first Q3 appearance followed at theChinese Grand Prix,[220] before driving to his first points finish with Renault in seventh place.[221] At theAzerbaijan Grand Prix, Ricciardo reversed into Daniil Kvyat when both cars stopped after an overtake attempt by Ricciardo, causing race-ending damage for both drivers and Ricciardo's third retirement in four races.[222] More points finishes came with ninth place at theMonaco Grand Prix and sixth place at theCanadian Grand Prix having qualified ahead of both Red Bulls in fourth.[223][224][225] He crossed the line in seventh place at theFrench Grand Prix having been embroiled in a four-car battle, but was given two separate five-second penalties on the final lap for driving infringements, dropping him out of the points.[226]
Improved results came in the second half of the season. Renault achieved their best result since returning to the sport in 2016 at theItalian Grand Prix,[227] with Ricciardo and Hülkenberg finishing fourth and fifth respectively.[228][229] He scored three consecutive points finishes at theMexican,[230]United States[231] andBrazilian Grands Prix; he finished sixth in Brazil despite receiving front wing damage and a penalty after colliding withKevin Magnussen.[232] However, retirements and car issues continued to affect hisR.S.19. He suffered an exhaust failure at theGerman Grand Prix, took an engine penalty at theBelgian Grand Prix and then collided withLance Stroll on the first lap,[233][234] and was stripped of his eighth-place qualifying position at theSingapore Grand Prix for a technical infringement.[235] He then retired after a first-lap collision at theRussian Grand Prix,[236] and was disqualified from a sixth-place finish at theJapanese Grand Prix; he had recovered from 16th on the grid,[237] but both Renault cars were excluded from the results ten days later having been found to have used illegal driver aids.[238]
Ricciardo ended the season ninth in the World Drivers' Championship with 54 points, ahead of Hülkenberg's total of 37. Renault finished fifth in the World Constructors' Championship, one place lower than in 2018 having been overtaken in the standings byMcLaren. Ricciardo commented that the team had "underachieved"[239] in 2019 but that he was optimistic for2020.[240] On his performance,ESPN's Nate Saunders remarked that Ricciardo was "probably the only consistent bright spot" of Renault's season, and whilst his decision to leave Red Bull was a competitive step down, his first year at Renault "did little to tarnish his standing on the grid".[241]
Before the start of the 2020 season—which was delayed until July due to theCOVID-19 pandemic—it was announced that Ricciardo would leave Renault to join McLaren for the2021 championship in a series of driver moves triggered by Sebastian Vettel's departure from Ferrari. On the early signing, Ricciardo commented that it may have been "too late" to make a decision on his future had he waited to assess the competitiveness of Renault's newR.S.20.[242]
Ricciardo had a new teammate for 2020, with Hülkenberg being replaced by former Mercedes reserve driverEsteban Ocon.[243] Ricciardo began the season with a retirement at theAustrian Grand Prix after his car overheated.[244] He then scored points at the following three races, including a fourth-place finish at theBritish Grand Prix where he benefited from late-race tyre punctures forCarlos Sainz Jr. and Valtteri Bottas.[245][246] He then qualified fifth for the following weekend's70th Anniversary Grand Prix,[247] but a spin during the race dropped him outside of the points.[248]
Ricciardo scored points at all eleven remaining races of the season. Following theBelgian Grand Prix, where he qualified and finished fourth and set the fastest lap of the race,[249][250][251] Ricciardo praised a set-up discovery that had "[brought] the car alive"[252] and joked that Renault managing directorCyril Abiteboul should be "pretty nervous" about an agreement to get matchingtattoos should Ricciardo achieve a podium finish in 2020.[253] He ran in the podium positions for much of theTuscan Grand Prix, but finished fourth again having been overtaken byAlex Albon in the closing laps.[254] He qualified sixth at theEifel Grand Prix and made his way to fourth place in the early laps.[255] After Bottas ahead retired, Ricciardo finished third, earning his first podium with Renault, and Renault's first podium since the2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.[256][257] A spin in qualifying at thePortuguese Grand Prix resulted in a tenth-place start and a ninth-place finish, which Ricciardo described as "damage limitation".[258] After qualifying fifth for theEmilia Romagna Grand Prix,[259][260] the retirement of Max Verstappen and a strategy error by Sergio Pérez's team allowed Ricciardo to finish third, collecting his second podium in three races.[261] Contact with teammate Ocon and another spin at theTurkish Grand Prix resulted in a tenth-place finish,[262] but Ricciardo achieved top-seven finishes at the remaining three races of the season.[263][264][265]
Ricciardo ended his final season at Renault fifth in the World Drivers' Championship, six points behind fourth-placed Pérez. He scored 119 points to Ocon's 62 and qualified ahead of Ocon at fifteen of the seventeen races.[266] Ricciardo described his 2020 as "a really strong year" and a turn-around after a disappointing 2019.[267] His performances were rated highly by team principals and fellow drivers.[268][269]Sky Sportspundit and former Formula One driverKarun Chandhok remarked that Ricciardo had "rediscovered his form from the early Red Bull years".[270]
Ricciardo partneredLando Norris during his time at McLaren.[271][272] He qualified sixth for his first race with the team at theBahrain Grand Prix,[273] and finished in the points despite receiving damage from a collision withPierre Gasly.[274] He scored points at the next three races, including a recovery from 16th on the grid to finish ninth at thePortuguese Grand Prix.[275][276][277] Following his Q1 elimination in Portugal, McLaren team principalAndreas Seidl gave his opinion that Ricciardo had struggled to adapt to theMCL35M, which "[didn't] allow him to continuously push the car at the limit".[278] He finished ahead of Norris for the first time at the following race, theSpanish Grand Prix,[279] but was then lapped by podium-finisher Norris at theMonaco Grand Prix and failed to score points.[280][281] Top-ten finishes came at theAzerbaijan andFrench Grands Prix,[282][283] despite a qualifying crash at the former,[284] but a power loss demoted him outside the points at theStyrian Grand Prix.[285]
Ricciardo achieved his best McLaren result thus far at theBritish Grand Prix, where he finished sixth in the sprint and fifth in the race, albeit behind fourth-placed Norris.[286] He commented that his form at McLaren was the "sad reality"[287] and had left him "past the point of being frustrated".[288] He was caught up in the first-corner collisions at theHungarian Grand Prix and finished outside the points with damage.[289] He then qualified a season-best fourth at theBelgian Grand Prix, but the race was only run for two laps behind the safety car due to weather conditions and reduced points were awarded.[290] He qualified ahead of Norris at theDutch Grand Prix,[291] but was denied a points finish when the team ordered him to concede position to Norris, who was on fresher tyres.[292] At this stage of the season, Ricciardo had scored less than half of Norris's points total.[293]
Ricciardo qualified fifth at theItalian Grand Prix, 0.006 seconds behind Norris, a result he described as enraging.[294] He gained two places during the sprint and then benefited from a grid penalty for Valtteri Bottas to start the main race on the front row alongside Max Verstappen.[295] He overtook Verstappen at the first turn and withstood pressure from the Red Bull until Verstappen was eliminated in a collision with Lewis Hamilton. He then held off Norris to take his eighth Grand Prix victory,[296] his first in over three years and McLaren's first since the2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.[297] He followed this with fourth place at the rain-affectedRussian Grand Prix, three seconds behind a podium position.[298][299] He scored points twice more in the remaining seven races with fifth place finishes at theUnited States andSaudi Arabian Grands Prix, ahead of Norris in both.[300][301][302] However, he was eliminated in Q1 at theTurkish Grand Prix,[303][304] collided with Bottas and required a front wing change at theMexican Grand Prix[305] and retired with a power unit issue at theSão Paulo Grand Prix.[306]
Ricciardo ended the 2021 season eighth in the championship with 115 points compared to Norris's 160. He admitted that he needed to "make another [step] next year" and summarised his season as "Started not great, got better, but still with some dips."[307] Whilst praising his Italian Grand Prix victory, Edd Straw ofThe Race characterised most of his good results as being "a consequence of canny race execution and a little good fortune", and that he was "a step behind his team-mate".[308]
Ricciardo missed the final day of the2022 pre-season test at theBahrain International Circuit due to a positiveCOVID-19 test,[309] but was released from isolation in time for the season-openingBahrain Grand Prix.[310] Both McLarens qualified and finished the race outside the top ten, with Norris admitting the team were "a long way off".[311] He was running in ninth place at theSaudi Arabian Grand Prix before an engine failure eliminated him from the race,[312] but followed this with his first points of the season with a sixth-place finish at theAustralian Grand Prix.[313][314] He scored points again in the sprint at theEmilia Romagna Grand Prix,[315] but a collision with Carlos Sainz Jr. dropped him to the back whilst Norris went on to finish on the podium.[316] He then failed to score points in the next three races.[317][318][319] McLaren CEOZak Brown admitted that Ricciardo's performances had "not met his or our expectations"[320] and suggested that there were "mechanisms" in which Ricciardo's initial three-year contract could be cut short.[321] He next scored points at theAzerbaijan Grand Prix where he started 13th and finished eighth.[322][323] A DRS failure forced an extra pit stop and a 13th-place finish at theBritish Grand Prix,[324] but Ricciardo then recorded two consecutive points finishes with ninth place at both theAustrian andFrench Grands Prix.[325][326]
In July, amongst speculation over his future at McLaren, Ricciardo stated that he was committed to McLaren until the end of 2023 and that he was "not walking away from the sport".[327] However, in August it was announced that Ricciardo's contract had been terminated and that he would leave McLaren at the end of 2022.[328] He would be replaced by formerAlpine reserve driver andFormula 2 championOscar Piastri, who, it later emerged, had signed a contract with McLaren in early July.[329] Ricciardo finished no higher than 15th at the following four races, however he was in eighth place at theItalian Grand Prix before retiring with an oil leak, having initially ran in the top three on the opening lap.[330] This was followed by his best result of the season at theSingapore Grand Prix, where he finished fifth despite starting 16th.[331][332] He recorded a seventh-place finish at theMexico City Grand Prix despite receiving a ten-second penalty for colliding withYuki Tsunoda,[333] but this was followed by a race-ending collision with Kevin Magnussen at theSão Paulo Grand Prix.[334] He received a three-place grid penalty for the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix as a result of the collision,[335] but recovered to finish the race ninth.[336][337]
The 2022 championship ended with Ricciardo 11th in the standings, scoring 37 points to Norris's 122, with McLaren losing fourth place in the World Constructors' Championship to Alpine by 14 points. He was out-qualified by Norris at twenty of the season's twenty-two races.[338] Writing forSky Sports, Matt Morlidge described Ricciardo's season as "tough to watch", and on his contract termination, suggested that McLaren "had little option but to look elsewhere".[339] During theJapanese Grand Prix weekend, Ricciardo admitted that he would not be on the grid for2023, but stated that he planned to remain involved in Formula One with a view to returning to a race seat in2024.[340]
Red Bull reserve driver and AlphaTauri / RB (2023–2024)
Ricciardo elected to re-join Red Bull as their "third driver" for 2023. He specified that his role would involve "simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities".[341] Team principal Christian Horner commented that "to have a driver of Daniel's profile and history with the team within the group is only an asset for us". However, he ruled out a return to a race seat for Ricciardo,[342] and advisor Helmut Marko clarified thatRed Bull Junior Team driverLiam Lawson would fulfil reserve driver duties for Red Bull andAlphaTauri.[343] On 11 July, Ricciardo took part in aPirelli tyre testing session atSilverstone Circuit, driving theRed Bull RB19.[344] Hours later, it was announced that he would return to a race seat with AlphaTauri, replacingNyck de Vries with immediate effect.[345] This marked his return to the team previously known as Toro Rosso, for whom he last raced in 2013. Multiple writers characterised the move as an audition for Sergio Pérez's Red Bull seat,[346][347] with Christian Horner mentioning this as a possibility upon the expiration of Pérez's contract at the end of 2024.[348]
At theHungarian Grand Prix, his first race with the team, Ricciardo qualified 13th and recovered to 13th in the race having been involved in a first-lap collision.[349] He had a lap time deleted in qualifying at theBelgian Grand Prix and qualified and finished in the bottom five.[350][351] During the second free practice session of theDutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo hit the wall in an attempt to avoid Oscar Piastri's crashed McLaren. The incident broke ametacarpal bone in Ricciardo's hand in seven places.[352] The injury prevented him from competing for the remainder of the weekend and forced him to miss the following four races. He was replaced by reserve driver Lawson.[353][354] He returned to racing at theUnited States Grand Prix,[355] but brake issues led to a 15th-place finish.[356] Ricciardo then qualified a season-best fourth for theMexico City Grand Prix and finished the race seventh, earning his first points with AlphaTauri and the team's best result of the year.[357][358][359] He came close to scoring a point in theSão Paulo Grand Prix sprint, finishing ninth,[360] but suffered a broken rear wing after it was hit by a loose tyre during the main race.[361] He ended the season 17th in the championship, scoring six of the team's 25 points over his seven appearances.
Ricciardo was retained by the team, which had rebranded toRB,[362] for2024 alongside Yuki Tsunoda.[363] Horner remarked that having Ricciardo, Tsunoda and Lawson at the team was "a nice headache to have" and that Lawson would have a race seat in the future.[364] Ricciardo commented that a Red Bull seat for 2025 remained his goal.[365] The beginning of Ricciardo's 2024 season was impacted by incidents; he spun on the final lap of theSaudi Arabian Grand Prix,[366][367] had his lap time deleted in qualifying at theAustralian Grand Prix,[368] collided with Alex Albon at theJapanese Grand Prix[369][370] and wasrear-ended by Lance Stroll at theChinese Grand Prix.[371] At theMiami Grand Prix, he qualified and finished fourth in the sprint having held off the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jr.[372] He commented that the result would "keep a few people quiet".[373] His next points finish came at theCanadian Grand Prix, where he qualified fifth and finished eighth.[374] Prior to qualifying, he received criticism from1997 championJacques Villeneuve who questioned why he was still in Formula One. After qualifying, Ricciardo responded by saying Villeneuve was "talking shit".[375]
Ricciardo scored further points at theAustrian Grand Prix, where he finished ninth,[376] and at theBelgian Grand Prix, where he was classified tenth after race-winnerGeorge Russell's disqualification.[377] During the summer break, discussions on the Red Bull and RB driver line-ups were held at Red Bull'sMilton Keynes headquarters.[378] Sergio Pérez's position at Red Bull seemed uncertain; Horner had described his results as "unsustainable"[379] and Ricciardo was a candidate to replace him.[380] RB CEOPeter Bayer also stated that the team would have "quiet discussions" on a promotion for Lawson;[381] Helmut Marko had earlier commented that RB "is a junior team" and that Lawson should be given a seat soon.[382] Ultimately, no changes were made.[378][383] However, four races later at theSingapore Grand Prix, speculation arose as to whether Ricciardo would be dropped from the team following the race.[384] He finished the race 18th and pitted for fresh tyres to set the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap. He appeared emotional after the race, admitting that it could have been his last.[385] Four days later, his departure from the team was confirmed, with Lawson replacing him from theUnited States Grand Prix onward.[386][387]
Ricciardo ended the season 17th in the championship with 12 points,[388] compared to Tsunoda's 22 points up to and including the Singapore Grand Prix.Motor Sport's James Elson stated that Ricciardo had been "summarily outperformed" by Tsunoda during 2024,[389] and Jake Boxall-Legge ofAutosport branded his move back to the Red Bull stable a "waste of time".[390] On his departure from the sport, Ricciardo commented that he was proud of his career, and that "truth be told I wouldn't change it".[391]
Ricciardo is known for his aggressive style as well as favouring a late braking manoeuvre to engineer overtakes. Ricciardo also prefers to carry more speed through the corner by making it more of a 'U' shape, utilising a little rear instability on entry to turn in, and enough grip to rotate the car mid-corner without the rear breaking away.[392]
Ricciardo was regarded as one of the most prominent names in Formula One,[393] known for his laid back nature and smile, withThe New York Times describing him in 2016 saying, "If a survey could be made of the 22 Formula One drivers to establish who smiles the most, has the sunniest disposition and seems to be generally the nicest guy, Ricciardo would surely be the leader."[394][395][396][397] His personal profile grew with the success of the reality showDrive to Survive, where he has been called "the face of the show".[394][398][399] After the 2021 season, Ricciardo was appointed aMember of the Order of Australia in the2022 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to motor sport as a competitor and ambassador, and to the community".[400][401]
Ricciardo is often referred to as "thehoney badger" referencing his racing style, explaining how "[i]t's supposed to be the most fearless animal in the animal kingdom. When you look at it, he seems quite cute and cuddly, but as soon as someone crosses his territory in a way he doesn't like, he turns into a bit of a savage and he'll go after anything – tigers, pythons – he turns very quickly, but he's a good guy."[402][403]
On 8 February 2015, during the third episode ofseries 22 of the popular British motoring television programmeTop Gear, Ricciardo became the fastest Formula One driver to perform a lap of theTop Gear test track during theStar in a Reasonably Priced Car feature, beating the previous record-holderLewis Hamilton with a time of 1:42.2.[404]
Ricciardo is in a relationship with Heidi Berger, the daughter of 10-time Formula One Grand Prix winnerGerhard Berger.[413] In 2019, he founded the eponymouskart racing series, theDaniel Ricciardo Series (DRS), to provide affordable access toowner–driver karting for drivers aged 7–16; it has since expanded to anarrive-and-drive format.[414] Notable graduates include2024 GB4 Championship runner-up andF1 Academy race-winnerAlisha Palmowski.[415] Ricciardo retired from motor racing in September 2025, aged 36, to become a global ambassador forFord Racing.[416]
† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance. ‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
^Ricciardo is nicknamedtheHoney Badger; he explained that he embraced the animal for its fearless qualities, which mirrored his aggressive racing style.[1]
^Ricciardo was initially set to give the seat back to Karthikeyan for theIndian Grand Prix to allow Karthikeyan to compete at his home race, however it was ultimately Liuzzi who made way instead.[40]
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