How Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 career was derailed?

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For the second time in his career, Daniel Ricciardo had to say goodbye to Formule 1. This time, it’s definitive.

It’s retirement time for the 35-year-old Australian driver. After almost a full season with Racing Bulls, the daughter team of Redbull Racing, where he was still No. 1 driver 6 years ago. Considered one of Formula 1’s most promising talents, how did he go from dream to forced second retirement?

Daniel Ricciardo’s promising Formula 1 debut

Recruited by Redbull for testing prior to the 2008 season. He went on to shine for Redbull Racing in Formula Renault and British F3.

In 2011, he returned to Formula 1 with HRT for a year, before joining Redbull Racing’s daughter team Toro Rosso for the following two seasons. Here he was able to showcase his real talent.
In 2014, when Mark Weber retired, he finally became a Redbull Racing driver alongside Sebastian Vettel. This was his most prolific year, winning 3 races and 8 podiums.

In the years that followed, Ricciardo scored another 5 landmark victories, including the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix and the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, as well as numerous podiums. He adopts a bold, aggressive attitude, like a ratel, hence his nickname “Honey Badger”.

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The broken fate of Daniel Ricciardo

After a brief stint with the Renault F1 Team, where he produced no results, he drove for two years with Mclaren F1 alongside Lando Norris. In 2021 at Monza, a spark! The two Mclaren drivers scored the only one-two finish of the season: P1 for Ricciardo and P2 for Norris after a spectacular crash that knocked Hamilton and Verstappen out of the race.

The following year, Mclaren went downhill and failed to produce any results. The F1 car was bad, and with the exception of his victory in 2021, Daniel Ricciardo had one bad weekend after another. He ended up leaving Forumle 1 for the 1st time.

A last chance in F1 that wasn’t enough

His smile and joviality were missed in the paddock, and Christian Horner, head of Redbull Racing, offered him a job as reserve driver for the team that had seen him shine.

In mid-2023, he steps in at last minute to replace Nick De Vries, who was then driving for AlphaTauri, the junior team of Redbull Racing. On his return, however, he suffered a broken wrist in a crash at the Zandvoort Grand Prix, and would only return for the last few races, replaced by the talented young driver Liam Lawson.

This 2024 season will therefore be his last, because despite the idyllic goal of replacing Sergio Perez at Redbull Racing, he continues to post poor results, has less and less confidence in F1 because of its instability, and unfortunately is losing his credibility.

After 8 wins, 32 podium and 3 pole positions, what’s next for Daniel Ricciardo? Indycar? WEC? Vineyard? The opportunities are numerous. He’s already launched his own DR3 wine, and I hear it’s excellent.

In any case, people will remember him as an extremely likeable driver, loved by drivers, the paddock and adored by spectators. As for me, I’ll keep this cap you signed, which I bought from a track marshal in Monaco in 2019… Thank you Honey Badger !

Monaco F1 track marshal cap signed by Daniel Ricciardo
Monaco F1 track marshal cap signed by Ricciardo
Adrien Conges
Adrien Conges
I grew up near Magny-Cours, an old Formula 1 circuit in France so I've been passionate about motorsport and automobiles since childhood. I currently live in Bordeaux, France and I'm still waiting for Ferrari to win a 17th F1 constructors' title.

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