Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo
Born	Daniel Joseph Ricciardo (1989-07-01) July 1, 1989 Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	2011–2023 (Formula One)
Known for	Formula One racing driver, eight Grand Prix wins, "the Honey Badger" nickname

Daniel Joseph Ricciardo (, , ; born 1 July 1989) is an Australian racing driver who participated in Formula One from to . Known by the nickname "the Honey Badger" due to his aggressive and fearless driving approach, Ricciardo achieved eight Formula One Grands Prix victories throughout his 14-season career.

Hailing from Perth and born to Italian-Australian heritage, Ricciardo started karting at nine years old before advancing through various junior racing categories. He made his regional Formula Ford debut in 2005. His early career highlights include winning the 2008 Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup with SG Formula and capturing the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship title with Carlin Motorsport. In the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, he secured second place overall in 2010. Ricciardo entered the Formula One arena at the 2011 British Grand Prix driving for HRT Formula 1 Team, taking over from Narain Karthikeyan as part of the Red Bull Junior Team. He then raced full-time for Toro Rosso between and , earning several points finishes.

In , Ricciardo was promoted to Red Bull, replacing the retiring Mark Webber and partnering Sebastian Vettel. Piloting Red Bull's Renault-powered vehicle (which was rebranded as TAG Heuer from 2016 to 2018), he finished third in the championship during his debut season, securing his first Grand Prix win at the and additional victories in Hungary and Belgium. Following a winless campaign in , he achieved his inaugural pole position at Monaco and won the Grand Prix, concluding the year again in third place overall. Subsequent wins included triumphs at the , as well as the Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix in 2018.

Ricciardo transitioned to Renault for , where he attained a best race result of fourth at Italy and multiple podium finishes throughout , ultimately placing fifth in the drivers' standings. In , he joined McLaren, teaming up with Lando Norris and earning a single victory for McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix. After experiencing mixed performances, he departed McLaren following the season's conclusion and returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver in . Midway through that year, Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at Scuderia AlphaTauri, retained his seat for their campaign under RB ownership, but was succeeded by Liam Lawson after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Throughout his Formula One tenure, Ricciardo amassed eight wins, one pole position, numerous fastest laps, and multiple podium placements. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia during the 2022 Australia Day Honours.

Early life

Daniel Joseph Ricciardo entered the world on 1 July 1989 in Perth, Western Australia, born to parents of Italian-Australian descent. His father, Giuseppe "Joe" Ricciardo, originated from Ficarra (Messina) before relocating to Australia at age seven. His mother, Grace Pulitanò, was Australian-born with ancestral ties to Casignana (Calabria). Ricciardo has one sister named Michelle. Growing up in Duncraig, his initial exposure to motorsport came through his father’s racing activities at Barbagallo Raceway located nearby in Wanneroo. He attended Newman College and embarked on karting when he was nine years old.

Karting

Ricciardo commenced kart racing at nine years old with the Tiger Kart Club (TKC), participating in numerous competitions.

Lower formulae

In 2005, Ricciardo competed in the Western Australian Formula Ford championship driving a 15-year-old Van Diemen, where he finished eighth overall. Later that year, he took part in the national Australian Formula Ford series at Sandown Raceway using a leased Van Diemen built thirteen years prior; however, his outdated vehicle limited him to finishing 16th, 17th, and retiring once over three races.

During that same year, Ricciardo claimed victory in the Australian karting championship, which granted him access to attend the 2006 Australian Grand Prix held at Albert Park. At just sixteen years old, this opportunity allowed him early interaction with Formula One drivers such as Jarno Trulli and notable personalities including Miss Universe 2004 winner Jennifer Hawkins.

After securing sixth place in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia, Ricciardo earned selection into the prestigious Red Bull Junior Team, marking an important milestone in his professional motorsport progression.

Formula Three

Ricciardo made his Formula Three debut midway through the 2008 season at the Nürburgring, joining SG Formula's squad in the Formula 3 Euro Series. Despite his limited track time, he qualified in eighth position and secured sixth place in the opening race, though he encountered difficulties in the reverse-grid event, finishing fifteenth.

In 2009, Ricciardo progressed to the British Formula 3 Championship with Carlin Motorsport, maintaining his collaboration with the team by competing in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

On 30 October 2009, Ricciardo signed with Tech 1 to compete in the 2010 season. He had previously driven for Tech 1 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve during 2009, alongside teammate Brendon Hartley.

Despite missing a test session due to a minor injury, Ricciardo secured pole position for both races at the season opener in Alcañiz, Spain, finishing third and second respectively, which placed him atop the championship standings. At Spa-Francorchamps, he was penalized to start from the back of the grid for obstructing other drivers but recovered with strong results, including a second-place finish after penalties were applied to leading competitors. In Monte Carlo, Ricciardo earned his third pole and claimed his first victory ahead of rival Stefano Coletti. He further added wins at the Hungaroring and Hockenheimring, accumulating six poles across twelve races. Simon Abadie, Tech 1's team principal, praised Ricciardo's performances and expressed aspirations for a championship title.

During Silverstone's opening race, Ricciardo was involved in a significant crash but rebounded by taking pole for the second race, where he led most of the event before brake problems allowed competitor Esteban Guerrieri to overtake on the final lap.

Approaching the final round, Ricciardo trailed championship leader Mikhail Aleshin by three points. After clinching his eighth pole position, he won from start to finish and matched Aleshin's points total. In the decisive race, pit stop complications caused him to lose positions, allowing Aleshin to pass and resulting in Ricciardo finishing second and narrowly missing out on the championship by two points.

In the 2011 season, Ricciardo competed with ISR Racing before making his debut in Formula One with HRT.

Red Bull test driver (2009–2011)

Ricciardo first experienced a Formula One car during Red Bull Racing's young drivers test at Circuito de Jerez in December 2009. On the final day of testing, he posted the fastest lap time by over a second, breaking into the 1:17 range. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner viewed Ricciardo as a potential successor to his 2010 World Series teammate Hartley in the role of test and reserve driver. Both Ricciardo and Hartley shared these responsibilities for Red Bull and its sister outfit Scuderia Toro Rosso until Hartley was dropped from the Red Bull Junior program.

On 11 November 2010, Ricciardo was officially named as Red Bull Racing’s exclusive representative for the end-of-season young drivers test held at the Yas Marina Circuit. He dominated proceedings by setting a lap time 1.3 seconds quicker than reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel’s qualifying benchmark. Soon after, Ricciardo was appointed as Toro Rosso’s test and reserve driver for the upcoming season, regularly participating in first free practice sessions at each Grand Prix. Team principal Franz Tost highlighted that having an ambitious young talent like Ricciardo would help maintain competitive pressure on their lead drivers, Jaime Alguersuari and Sébastien Buemi.

HRT (2011)

On 30 June 2011, Ricciardo joined Hispania Racing through an arrangement with Red Bull Racing, taking over from Narain Karthikeyan for the remainder of the 2011 season, with the exception of the , where Karthikeyan competed at his home Grand Prix. Ricciardo made his first appearance at the 2011 British Grand Prix held at Silverstone Circuit.

Shortly before the inaugural Indian Grand Prix on 22 October 2011, HRT announced that Vitantonio Liuzzi would step aside to allow Karthikeyan to race in India. This decision enabled Ricciardo to continue accumulating experience as part of Red Bull Racing’s talent development plan through their investment in HRT. During the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ricciardo retired due to mechanical failure after starting in 20th position. He completed the final race of the season at , finishing 20th after beginning from 22nd on the grid.

2012

Ricciardo was officially confirmed on 14 December 2011 as a driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2012 season, partnering Jean-Éric Vergne.

At the Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo passed Vergne late on the final lap to claim ninth place, earning his first two World Championship points. In Malaysia, he ended up 12th after an early switch to slick tyres in damp conditions. He qualified sixth in Bahrain but dropped back to finish 15th. Starting from 15th in Monaco, he retired from the race. After the summer break, Ricciardo scored points again by finishing ninth at the . He then achieved three consecutive points finishes from Singapore through Korea and followed this with a tenth-place result in Abu Dhabi. Ricciardo concluded the year ranked 18th in the championship with a total of 10 points.

2013

For the 2013 season, Toro Rosso retained both Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne.

Ricciardo began the season with retirements in the first two races due to exhaust problems. He earned his first points of the year with a seventh-place finish in China, which was his best Formula One result up to that point. Further points came with a tenth-place finish in Spain despite starting from 11th on the grid. Ricciardo retired once more in Monaco following contact with Romain Grosjean. At the British Grand Prix, he achieved his best qualifying position of fifth and finished eighth. He secured seventh place at the Italian Grand Prix by holding off Grosjean and followed this with tenth-place finishes in both India and Brazil.

Throughout the season, Ricciardo outperformed teammate Vergne by seven points and qualified ahead of him in over three-quarters of the races. His strong qualifying record (30–7 against Vergne over two seasons) led to his promotion to Red Bull’s senior squad for 2014, replacing fellow Australian Mark Webber. Ricciardo finished the 2013 championship in 13th place with a total of 20 points.

Red Bull (2014–2018)

Ricciardo stepped into Mark Webber’s seat at Infiniti Red Bull Racing for the 2014 Formula One campaign, joining four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as his teammate.

2014

During the opening race of the season, , Ricciardo qualified second behind Lewis Hamilton and initially finished second; however, he was later disqualified due to a breach of fuel flow regulations. This would have marked the first Australian podium at their home Grand Prix since 1985. Red Bull’s appeal against this decision was dismissed by the FIA.

Ricciardo retired from the Malaysian GP but secured his first points finish with fourth place in Bahrain after starting from 13th on the grid. He repeated a fourth-place finish in China and earned his maiden podium by finishing third at the Spanish Grand Prix. In Monaco, Ricciardo qualified third and maintained that position to finish third after overtaking rivals late in the race.

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo claimed his first career victory, becoming only the fourth Australian to win a Formula One race and ending Mercedes’ early-season dominance. His impressive performance earned praise from competitors such as Fernando Alonso.

Ricciardo went on to win at Hungary by overtaking Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso during the closing laps, becoming only the second Australian winner there after Mark Webber. He followed this with a victory in Belgium after a collision between Mercedes drivers, making him the first Australian winner at Spa since Jack Brabham in 1960.

He finished fifth in Italy after a competitive battle with teammate Vettel and secured third place at Singapore. On 4 October 2014, it was announced that Ricciardo would partner Daniil Kvyat for the following season after Vettel’s departure. His last podium of 2014 came at the United States Grand Prix.

Ricciardo ended up third in the World Drivers' Championship standings at Brazil despite retiring due to suspension failure during that race. He finished fourth in Abu Dhabi starting from the pit lane and set his first fastest lap there. For his outstanding performance throughout 2014, he received the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in April 2015. Ricciardo closed out the season with three victories, eight podiums, and a total of 238 points.

2015

On 8 February 2015, during the third installment of series 22 of the UK automotive program Top Gear, Ricciardo recorded the quickest lap in the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car feature, surpassing Lewis Hamilton with a time of 1:42.2.

Throughout 2015, Red Bull lagged behind Ferrari and Williams in mounting a challenge against Mercedes for the championship, primarily due to the underperforming Renault power unit. The RB11 demonstrated its strength mainly on circuits that were slow and twisty with high downforce, as well as in wet weather, highlighting its robust chassis design.

Ricciardo placed sixth at the season-opening race at the , where the RB11 appeared lacking competitiveness. Following several points-scoring finishes, his engine failed on the final lap of the , compelling him to switch to his fourth and final engine for the season. He achieved his first top-five result by finishing fifth and setting the fastest lap in Monaco but encountered difficulties at the , ending up 13th due to mechanical problems.

While contending for second place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ricciardo made contact with Nico Rosberg while chasing Sebastian Vettel, ultimately finishing third behind his teammate and earning his first podium since the 2014 United States Grand Prix. He secured his second podium of that year by finishing second and recording the third fastest lap in Singapore.

Ricciardo wrapped up the season eighth in the drivers' standings with 92 points, trailing teammate Daniil Kvyat by three points. He out-qualified Kvyat 14 times to five but was behind him in race finishes with a tally of 10–9.

2016

Ricciardo began 2016 strongly in an improved Red Bull, securing fourth place finishes in both Australia and Bahrain, and qualifying second before taking an early lead in China; however, a tyre failure dropped him back to fourth. In Spain, he qualified third and led initially after Mercedes experienced a first-lap collision but slipped to fourth following a strategic pit stop and a late tyre blowout, finishing behind Verstappen and the Ferrari drivers.

He earned his maiden pole position at Monaco, leading early amid wet conditions before a pitstop lasting nearly 40 seconds cost him the lead; he ultimately finished second. After two seventh-place results in Canada and Azerbaijan, Ricciardo came fourth in Britain despite being out-qualified by teammate Verstappen for the first time that season. Podium appearances followed with third place in Hungary and runner-up in Germany, where he introduced his "shoey" celebration—drinking champagne from his racing shoe—a ritual he repeated in Belgium and convinced Mark Webber to join.

In Singapore, Ricciardo qualified second and finished similarly, closely challenging winner Rosberg. During Malaysia, he advanced from fourth to second at the start following a collision between Vettel and Rosberg, then took over the lead after Hamilton’s engine failure. Ricciardo claimed his first victory of the year after battling teammate Verstappen and celebrated with the "shoey," joined on the podium by team principal Christian Horner and others.

He finished third at the United States Grand Prix and secured third place overall in the Drivers' Championship after a podium finish in Mexico. Across the season, Ricciardo accumulated 256 points featuring one pole position, one win, seven additional podiums, and three fastest laps. Alongside Sergio Pérez, he was one of only two drivers to be classified at every race during 2016.

2017

Ricciardo secured the 10th spot on the grid in Australia after spinning into the tyre barrier during Q3, which was compounded by a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox replacement. His race start was compromised by a gearbox sensor malfunction, and a fuel pressure failure forced him to retire after completing 25 laps. In China, he narrowly missed out on third place, finishing fourth just behind teammate Max Verstappen on the final lap. Starting from fourth position at the , Ricciardo overcame a challenging safety car restart to claim fifth place. He retired early at the because of brake complications but achieved his first podium of the year with a third-place finish in Spain, initiating a streak of five consecutive podium appearances.

At Monaco, Ricciardo qualified fifth and executed a strong overcut strategy to finish third, followed by another third place in Canada after overtaking Kimi Räikkönen and capitalizing on competitors' misfortunes. During the inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix, despite qualifying tenth after hitting the wall, he recovered impressively from 17th position to win the race, benefitting from strategic pit stops and penalties affecting rivals.

In Austria, Ricciardo finished third, defending his position against Hamilton to extend his podium streak to five races. Although he incurred a five-place grid penalty at the due to a gearbox change and suffered turbo failure that dropped him to 19th on the grid, he climbed back up to fifth place. His run ended in Hungary following a collision with Verstappen that resulted in retirement.

Ricciardo secured third place in Belgium by gaining a position during safety car restarts but faced a substantial 20-place grid penalty in Italy for power unit changes. Starting from 16th, he delivered an impressive drive to finish fourth. In Singapore, he inherited second place following a multi-car collision at the start and added another podium in Malaysia when front-row starter Räikkönen failed to start. He also finished third in Japan before experiencing back-to-back retirements in the United States and Mexico due to reliability issues.

At Brazil, Ricciardo accepted another engine penalty starting 14th but recovered to sixth despite an early spin incident. After holding fourth place in the drivers' standings for much of the season, a retirement at Abu Dhabi dropped him to fifth overall with 200 points, trailing Räikkönen by five points. His 2017 campaign included one victory, one fastest lap, and nine podium finishes.

2018

Ricciardo kicked off the season with a fourth-place finish in Australia, starting eighth after receiving a three-place penalty for speeding under red flag conditions. In Bahrain, he retired early due to an electrical fault. Demonstrating strategic skill at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix, Ricciardo claimed a commanding win by overtaking five cars within eight laps after pitting under a safety car period. At the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, despite qualifying fourth, he collided with teammate Max Verstappen during the race; both drivers retired and were required by Red Bull management to apologize.

During the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix, Ricciardo finished fifth while setting a track record despite spinning under virtual safety car conditions. Entering the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix as one of the favorites, he dominated practice and qualifying sessions, securing his second career pole position with multiple lap records. Ricciardo went on to win the race—his first victory at Monaco and first from pole—managing power loss issues throughout. This triumph elevated him to third in the championship standings but marked his last podium of the season.

Subsequent races were marred by grid penalties and reliability challenges; in Canada, he finished fourth after executing strategic overtakes. In France, damage to his front wing limited him to fourth place. Mechanical failures and uncompetitive performances followed in Austria and Britain, where a DRS malfunction hindered his qualifying efforts. Starting from the back at the German GP due to power unit changes, Ricciardo retired again because of engine failure. A spin during qualifying in Hungary affected his starting position, yet he recovered well to finish fourth.

On 3 August, Ricciardo announced his unexpected decision to leave Red Bull at season’s end. He endured consecutive retirements in Belgium and Italy caused by incidents and mechanical problems. Despite starting at the rear in Russia due to engine penalties, he managed two sixth-place finishes later that season. Qualifying difficulties persisted in Japan with an exhaust failure; however, he rebounded to secure fourth place.

Ricciardo matched the highest number of retirements in 2018 with eight withdrawals. At the United States GP, although outqualifying Verstappen, he retired early because of battery failure. He earned pole position in Mexico by 0.027 seconds but retired once more due to hydraulic issues after losing positions during the race. Following that event, Ricciardo described his car as "cursed" and questioned continuing competition for remaining rounds. An engine penalty relegated him to 11th in Brazil; nevertheless, he narrowly missed out on a podium by 0.4 seconds after an impressive recovery drive. He concluded the season with a fourth-place finish at Abu Dhabi despite strategic errors.

Throughout 2018, Ricciardo recorded four fastest laps (Australia, China, Spain, Hungary) and ended sixth overall in the World Drivers' Championship with 170 points.

2019

On 3 August 2018, Daniel Ricciardo secured a contract to compete with Renault for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. His teammate for this period was Nico Hülkenberg. Ricciardo encountered early difficulties, retiring from the initial two races due to front wing damage in Australia and a power unit failure in Bahrain, despite showing promising pace in the latter. He advanced into Q3 for the first time in China and earned his inaugural points for Renault by finishing seventh. In Azerbaijan, Ricciardo was involved in a collision after reversing into Daniil Kvyat, causing both drivers to retire.

After completing six races consecutively without retirement, Ricciardo finished 13th in Spain following a questionable strategic decision. He recorded his best qualifying result of the year with sixth place in Monaco but ended the race ninth after a late pit stop prior to the safety car deployment. In Canada, Ricciardo achieved a personal best qualifying position of fourth and secured sixth place in the race, successfully defending against a faster Mercedes driven by Valtteri Bottas.

At the French Grand Prix, Ricciardo initially crossed the finish line seventh but was penalized twice with five-second additions for unsafe re-entry and overtaking off-track, which dropped him out of the points. After a difficult event in Austria, he both started and finished seventh at Silverstone. His German Grand Prix ended prematurely due to an exhaust failure, followed by a poor qualifying and race in Hungary where he was held up behind Kevin Magnussen's Haas.

Ricciardo received a five-place grid penalty at Belgium because of a new engine installation and collided with Lance Stroll at the start, falling back to 14th position. He qualified fifth at Monza and achieved fourth place—the highest finish of his season—helping Renault secure their best result since returning in 2016. However, Ricciardo was disqualified from Singapore qualifying for surpassing MGU-K power limits, forcing him to start at the rear and finish 14th after a tumultuous race.

In Russia, Ricciardo retired following a first-lap incident. He recovered impressively from 16th to sixth in Japan before Renault was disqualified for illegal driver aids. In Mexico, he finished eighth after applying pressure on Sergio Pérez. Sixth-place finishes followed in both the United States and Brazil—the latter affected by contact with Magnussen that caused front wing damage and incurred a time penalty. He wrapped up the season with an 11th-place finish in Abu Dhabi.

Ricciardo concluded the 2019 championship ranked ninth overall with 54 points, finishing ahead of teammate Hülkenberg.

2020

For the 2020 season, Ricciardo partnered with new teammate Esteban Ocon, who replaced Hülkenberg. His campaign started with retirement at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix due to overheating issues with the Renault R.S.20. After qualifying ninth at the next race, Ricciardo ended eighth following late overtakes by Lance Stroll and Lando Norris. He qualified eleventh and finished eighth at another event.

At one Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified eighth and capitalized on late punctures affecting rivals to claim fourth place. During the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, he qualified fifth but spun mid-race, resulting in a 14th-place finish. Subsequent outings produced mixed outcomes including an eleventh place in Spain.

Beginning with a fourth-place qualification at another race, Ricciardo scored points across eleven consecutive events. He earned fourth place and set the fastest lap in Belgium after challenging Max Verstappen closely. At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, he qualified seventh and finished sixth. At another venue, Ricciardo progressed from eighth on the grid to finish fourth, briefly running second during a restart phase.

In Russia, Ricciardo qualified fifth and finished fifth despite receiving a time penalty for exceeding track limits. At another Grand Prix, he secured third place—marking Renault’s first podium since 2011 and his own first since 2018. In Portugal, after damaging his rear wing during qualifying due to a crash, he concluded ninth in the race. At Emilia Romagna, Ricciardo qualified fifth and took advantage of competitors’ retirements and strategic mistakes to finish third, earning his second podium with Renault.

Starting fifth at the Turkish Grand Prix, Ricciardo spun late on track and ended tenth. In Bahrain, he began sixth but dropped to tenth following a poor restart before recovering to seventh place. At Sakhir, despite a strong start and opportunities arising from early collisions among leaders, an ill-timed pit stop relegated him to fifth.

Ricciardo’s final appearance for Renault came at Abu Dhabi where he qualified twelfth but moved up to seventh after the opening stint and recorded fastest lap on the final circuit. He completed the season fifth in the drivers’ standings with 119 points—six points shy of teammate Pérez’s fourth position.

2021

Following two seasons with Renault, Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren for the 2021 Formula One World Championship, taking over from Carlos Sainz Jr., who moved to Ferrari. He was paired with returning driver Lando Norris. Ricciardo began his debut race qualifying sixth at the , ultimately finishing seventh after sustaining floor damage from a collision. He again qualified sixth at the , finishing sixth after team orders required him to allow Norris past.

At the , Ricciardo faced difficulties, starting from sixteenth but recovering to ninth place. During the , he secured seventh in qualifying and finished sixth, marking his first race finish ahead of Norris. The weekend proved challenging at the , where he was knocked out in Q2 and ended up twelfth. A qualifying accident at the resulted in a 13th-place grid spot and a ninth-place finish.

Ricciardo claimed sixth place at the , successfully defending his position late in the race. However, engine troubles at the Grand Prix caused him to drop from eighth to thirteenth. He finished seventh at the and achieved sixth place in Formula One's inaugural sprint race at the , later improving to fifth in the Grand Prix, which was his first top-five finish with McLaren.

The chaotic opening of the saw Ricciardo climb to second before a collision pushed him back to eleventh. After the summer break, he qualified fourth at the rain-affected , where the race was cut short, awarding him fourth place and six points. At the , despite qualifying tenth, Ricciardo yielded position to Norris under team instructions even though he was quicker.

At the , Ricciardo qualified fifth and secured third place in the sprint race, earning a front-row start for the Grand Prix due to another driver's grid penalty. He led most of the race and achieved his first victory with McLaren along with setting the fastest lap—marking McLaren’s first win since 2012 and their first one-two finish since 2010. At the , he overcame a slow pit stop and late rain to finish fourth.

An engine penalty forced Ricciardo to start last at the , where he finished 13th. He qualified seventh for the , moving up to sixth after another driver’s penalty, and finished fifth, contributing valuable Constructors' points over Ferrari. A first-lap collision at the caused damage leading to a twelfth-place result.

Ricciardo experienced his first retirement of that season at the due to power unit issues while running eighth. He qualified 14th at the and finished 12th, hampered by fuel concerns. Breaking a points drought, he finished fifth at Saudi Arabia’s penultimate race after benefiting from strategic pit stops.

In his final race of 2021 at Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo qualified tenth but dropped to twelfth after being overcut during a virtual safety car phase. He ended the season eighth in the drivers' standings with 115 points and one podium—his victory at Monza—significantly aiding McLaren’s competitive revival.

2022

Ricciardo missed the last day of pre-season testing in Bahrain in 2022 after testing positive for COVID-19 on March 11 but was cleared to compete in the season opener on March 20. At Bahrain, he qualified 18th and finished 14th, ahead of teammate Norris, despite limited pace and retirements affecting others. In Saudi Arabia, after qualifying 12th, he received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Esteban Ocon; while running ninth during the race, an engine failure forced his retirement.

At his home event in Australia, Ricciardo reached Q3 for the first time that season by qualifying seventh and finished sixth behind Norris. In Emilia Romagna, he qualified sixth for the sprint but collided with Carlos Sainz Jr., causing Sainz’s retirement and damaging Ricciardo's car; he completed the main race last while Norris secured a podium.

Ricciardo started 14th in Miami but finished 13th following Norris’s retirement. He again reached Q3 in Spain, qualifying ninth but ended twelfth due to lack of pace. McLaren CEO Zak Brown publicly remarked that Ricciardo’s early-season performances had fallen short of expectations. At Monaco, after crashing in practice, Ricciardo qualified 14th and finished 13th.

In Azerbaijan, starting 13th, Ricciardo finished eighth as per team orders. Despite qualifying ninth in Canada, he failed to score points and struggled further at Silverstone due to a DRS malfunction that necessitated an extra pit stop; he finished 13th. He earned two ninth-place finishes in Austria and France respectively. After qualifying ninth in Hungary, Ricciardo was penalized for colliding with Lance Stroll and concluded fifteenth.

In August, McLaren and Ricciardo mutually agreed on an early termination of his contract by one year. His post-summer form remained weak: finishing fifteenth in Belgium and seventeenth in the Netherlands. At Monza, Ricciardo qualified eighth (promoted to fourth following penalties), ran inside the top three early on but retired on lap 45 due to an oil leak. Starting sixteenth in Singapore, he achieved his best result of that year by finishing fifth.

Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, Ricciardo announced his decision not to compete in Formula One during 2023. He qualified eleventh and maintained that position in Japan. At the United States GP, he placed sixteenth. In Mexico City, beginning eleventh on the grid, he finished seventh despite receiving a ten-second penalty for a collision. During São Paulo’s opening lap incident with Kevin Magnussen—both drivers retired—Ricciardo was handed a three-place grid penalty for Abu Dhabi.

In his final outing for McLaren at Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo secured ninth place after defending against Sebastian Vettel. He wrapped up the season eleventh in the Drivers' Championship with 37 points. His performance difficulties contributed to McLaren losing fourth place in the Constructors' Championship to Alpine; over the year, Ricciardo scored 85 points fewer than Norris.

Red Bull reserve driver (2023)

Following his replacement at McLaren by Oscar Piastri for the 2023 campaign, Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull Racing in the capacity of "third driver". At the season opener in Bahrain, Ricciardo qualified 14th and finished one position higher in 13th after exchanging places with Tsunoda while attempting an overtake on Kevin Magnussen. In Saudi Arabia, he secured 14th on the grid but ended up 16th following a spin on the final lap. At his home event in Australia, Ricciardo was eliminated during Q1 after a lap was deleted due to exceeding track limits; he qualified 18th but improved to finish 12th.

At the Japanese GP, Ricciardo qualified just outside Q3 in 11th place behind Tsunoda but retired on lap one after colliding with Alex Albon. The incident was classified as a racing incident due to track conditions involving Lance Stroll. During the first sprint race of the season at the Chinese GP, he finished 11th but retired from the main race following rear-end contact with Stroll. Post-race, Ricciardo criticized Stroll’s lack of accountability and received a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions.

At Miami, Ricciardo qualified fourth for the sprint and maintained that position, earning his first points of the year with strong defensive driving against Carlos Sainz Jr. However, grip problems led to an 18th place qualifying for the main race and a final result of 15th. He reached Q3 for the first time this season at Emilia Romagna by qualifying ninth but dropped back to finish 13th after a poor start. A quiet Monaco GP saw him finish twelfth behind Tsunoda.

At Canada’s Grand Prix, despite criticism from Jacques Villeneuve questioning his Formula One status, Ricciardo qualified fifth and managed eighth place despite serving a five-second penalty for jump-starting.

RB encountered difficulties during Spain’s race weekend, resulting in Ricciardo’s elimination during Q1 and finishing fifteenth. Although narrowly missing Q3 in Austria, he recovered well to claim ninth place thanks to an effective early pit stop strategy. At Hungary, despite qualifying ninth, poor pit decisions caused him to drop down to twelfth place. In Belgium, he crossed the line eleventh but was elevated into points-paying positions following George Russell’s disqualification. Despite inconsistent results throughout this period, RB confirmed that Ricciardo would continue driving after the summer break.

In subsequent races, Ricciardo mostly finished outside point-scoring positions; notably at Italy where early contact and penalties hindered his chances of scoring.

Prior to Singapore's round, speculation intensified regarding Ricciardo’s future following a disappointing qualifying session where he started sixteenth; although finishing eighteenth overall, he set the fastest lap and emotionally acknowledged that this might be his final Grand Prix appearance. Soon after, RB announced his release and appointed Liam Lawson as his replacement starting from the United States GP onward. Analyst Jake Boxall-Legge later described RB's decision as "a waste of time" following Lawson's promotion to Red Bull Racing.

Ricciardo completed the season ranked seventeenth overall in the drivers' championship standings with twelve points accumulated.

Driving style

Ricciardo is distinguished by his assertive driving approach and his tendency to brake late when overtaking. He maintains higher speeds through corners by tracing a 'U'-shaped path, deliberately inducing mild rear-end instability upon entry to initiate the turn, then securing sufficient grip to pivot the car smoothly mid-corner without losing control.

Public image

As a leading figure in Formula One, Ricciardo is widely recognized for his relaxed demeanor and trademark grin. In 2016, The New York Times identified him as the driver most inclined to smile and exhibit a cheerful attitude. His popularity surged notably due to his role in the reality series Drive to Survive, where he has been described as "the face of the show." After the conclusion of the 2021 season, he was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia during the 2022 Australia Day Honours in recognition of his achievements as a competitor, ambassador, and community contributor.

Known by the nickname "the honey badger" for his bold racing style, Ricciardo personifies the animal’s blend of an unassuming appearance with fierce tenacity when provoked—a metaphor underscoring his competitive spirit coupled with an approachable persona.

Personal life

Ricciardo pronounces his last name as "Ricardo," aligning with common Australian pronunciation rather than the Italian form. Inspired by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt during his youth, he chose to adopt number 3 as his permanent racing number in Formula One as a tribute. He is a supporter of the West Coast Eagles Australian rules football club and held the position of their number-one ticket holder in both 2015 and 2016. Additionally, Ricciardo is an enthusiast of UFC and developed an interest in American football’s Buffalo Bills throughout his F1 career. He also backs the Melbourne Stars Twenty20 cricket team, connected through his childhood friendship with Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis.

He is currently in a relationship with Heidi Berger, daughter of Gerhard Berger, who won ten Formula One Grand Prix races. In 2019, Ricciardo launched the eponymous karting competition, the Daniel Ricciardo Series (DRS), aimed at offering cost-effective owner–driver karting opportunities for participants aged 7–16; this series has since evolved into an arrive-and-drive format. Among its notable alumni is Alisha Palmowski, who was runner-up in the 2024 GB4 Championship and secured victories in F1 Academy races.

Formula One

• Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2014

Other awards

• Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough Performance of the Year: 2015
• GQ Australia Sportsman of the Year: 2014
• Confartigianato Motori Driver of the Year: 2014, 2018
• BRDC Bruce McLaren Trophy: 2013, 2014, 2016
• BRDC Innes Ireland Trophy: 2014, 2015

Orders and special awards

• • Member of the Order of Australia (2022)

Special awards

• Confartigianato Motori Legend of F1 Award: 2024

Karting career summary

Season	Series	Result
2000	Bob Smithers Memorial — Junior Clubman	5th place
2005	Australian CIK Championship Series — Intercontinental A	Champion
	Australian National Sprint Kart Championship — Junior Clubman	10th place
2010	Van der Drift Fundraiser	Did Not Finish (DNF)

Summary of racing career

 !2014    !2014 Formula One World Championship    !Infiniti Red Bull Racing    !19    !3    !0    !1    !8    !238    !style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| 3rd place  |-  !2015    !2015 Formula One World Championship    !Infiniti Red Bull Racing    !19    !0    !0    !3    !2    !92    !8th overall  |-  !2016    !2016 Formula One World Championship    !Red Bull Racing    !21    ¡1    ¡1    ¡4    ¡8    ¡256    ¡style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| 3rd place  |-  !2017    ¡2017 Formula One World Championship    ¡Red Bull Racing    ¡20    ¡1    ¡0   ¡1   ¡9   ¡200   ¡5th overall ¡- ¡2018   ¡2018 Formula One World Championship   ¡Aston Martin Red Bull Racing   ¡21   ¡2   ¡2   ¡4   ¡2   ¡170   ¡6th position ¡- ¡2019   ¡2019 Formula One World Championship   ¡Renault F1 Team   ¡21   ¡٠   ¡٠   ¡٠   ¡٠   ¡54   ¡9th place ¡- ¡202٠   ¡202٠ Formula One World Championship   ¡Renault DP World F1 Team   ¡17   ¡٠   ¡٠   ¡٢   ¡٢   ¡119   ¡5th rank ¡- ¡202١   ¡ 202١ Formula One World Championship   ¡ McLaren F1 Team   ¡22   ¡١   ¡٠   ¡١   ¡١   ¡115   ¡8th position ¡- ¡202٢   ¿ 202٢ Formula One World Championship   ¿ McLaren F1 Team   ¿22   ¿٠   ¿٠   ¿٠   ¿٠   ¿37   ¿11th place ¡- ¡202٣     ¿ 202٣ Formula One World Championship     ¿ Scuderia AlphaTauri     ¿8     ¿٠     ¿٠     ¿٠     ¿٠     ¿6     ¿17th rank ¡- ¡202٤     ¿ 202٤ Formula One World Championship     ¿ \Visa Cash App RB F1 Team\     ¿18     ¿٠     ¿٠     ¿١     ¿٠     ¿12     ¿17th position

Season	Series	Team	Races	Victories	Pole positions	F/Laps	Podium finishes	Points scored	Final standing
2005	Western Australian Formula Ford Championship	Private entrant	3	0	0	?	0	74	8th place
2006	Formula BMW Asia	Eurasia Motorsport	19	2	3	3	12	231	3rd overall
	Formula BMW UK	Motaworld Racing	2	0	0	0	0	3	20th position
	Formula BMW World Final	Fortec Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	5th place finish
2007	Formula Renault 2.0 Italy	RP Motorsport	14	0	0	0	0	196	6th overall
	2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season		4	0	0	0	0	0	Not Classified (NC)
2008	2008 Formula Renault seasons#Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup season	SG Formula	15	8	9	7	11	192	Champion
	2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season		18	6	5	5	7	136	Runner-up
	2008 Formula 3 Euro Series		2	0	0	0	0	N/A	Not Classified (NC)
	2008 Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	Not Classified (NC)
2009	2009 British Formula 3 season	Carlin Motorsport	20	7	6	5	13	275	Champion
	2009 Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	Not Classified (NC)
	2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Series	align=left Tech 1 Racing	2	0	0	0	0	0	34th position
	2009 Macau Grand Prix	Carlin Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	Not Classified (NC)
2010	2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series	Tech 1 Racing	17	4	8	5	8	136	2nd overall
rowspan=2 2011	2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series	ISR Racing	12	1	2	3	6	144	5th position
2011 Formula One World Championship	HRT Formula 1 Team	11	0	0	0	0	0	27th place
2012	2012 Formula One World Championship	Scuderia Toro Rosso	20	0	0	0	0	10	18th overall
2013	2013 Formula One World Championship	Scuderia Toro Rosso	19	0	0	0	0	20	14th position

Full Formula BMW Asia standings

(key) (Events shown in bold denote pole positions; those in italics represent fastest laps)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Final Position	Total Points
2006	Eurasia Motorsport	SEP 1 5	SEP 2 5	SEP 3 5	SEP 4 4	SEP 5 3	BEI 1 3	BEI 2 3	BEI 3 2	SEN 1 3	SEN 2 4	SEN 3 3	BIR 1 1	BIR 2 1	BIR 3 Ret	SHI 1 4	SHI 2 3	ZIC 1 2	ZIC 2 2	ZIC 3 2	3rd	231

Full Formula Renault 2.0 Italia standings

(key) (Events in bold signify pole position; those in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final Position	Total Points

|- | 2007 ! nowrap | RP Motorsport

|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  VAL1
1 
  
|style="background:#CFCFFF;" |  VAL1
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  VAL2
1 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  VAL2
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  SPA
1 
  
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" |  SPA
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  VAL
1 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  VAL
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MIS
1 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MIS
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MUG
1 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MUG
2 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MNZ
1 
  
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" |  MNZ
2 
  
!6th 
!196 

|}

Full Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 Results

(key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions; entries in italics signify fastest laps)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Position	Points
2007	RP Motorsport	ZOL 1	ZOL 2	NÜR 1	NÜR 2	HUN 1	HUN 2	DON 1	DON 2	MAG 1	MAG 2	EST 1 17	EST 2 15	CAT 1 33	CAT 2 Ret	NC	0
2008	SG Formula	SPA 1 1	SPA 2 4	SIL 1 4	SIL 2 1	HUN 1 1	HUN 2 1	NÜR 1 3	NÜR 2 5	LMS 1 Ret	LMS 2 6	EST 1 1	EST 2 10	CAT 1 6	CAT 2 1	2nd	136

Full Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup Results

(key) (Entries in bold represent pole positions; entries in italics indicate fastest laps)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Position	Points
2008	SG Formula	NOG 1 1	NOG 2 5	DIJ 1 1	DIJ 2 1	VAL 1 1	VAL 2 DSQ	LEM 1	EST 1 1	EST 2 2	SPA 1 2	SPA 2 1	MAG 1 6	MAG 2 4	CAT 1 1	style="background:#DFDFDF;"	[[Circuit de Catalunya	CAT 2	]]]		style="background:#FFFFBF;"	1st	style="background:#FFFFBF;"   │ 192

Full British Formula Three Championship results

(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; races in italics signify fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Position	Points
2009	Carlin Motorsport	OUL 1 1	OUL 2 1	SIL 1 5	SIL 2 1	ROC 1 Ret	ROC 2 5	HOC 1 4	HOC 2 8	SNE 1 2	SNE 2 2	DON 1 3	DON 2 5	SPA 1 1	SPA 2 2	SIL 1 1	SIL 2 3	ALG 1 3	ALG 2 5	BRH 1 1	BRH 2 4	1st	275

Full Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

(key) (Pole positions are in bold; fastest laps are in italics)

|- ! Year ! Team ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! 17 ! Position ! Points |- id=2009F | 2009 ! nowrap | Tech 1 Racing | | | | | | | | | | | style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| ALG
SPR
Ret style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| ALG
FEA
15 | | | ! 34th !0 |- id=2010F | 2010 ! nowrap | Tech 1 Racing | style="background-color:#FFDF9F"| ALC
1
3 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| ALC
2
2 | style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| SPA
1
13 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| SPA
2
5 | style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| MON
1
1 | style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| BRN
1
12 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| BRN
2
5 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| MAG
1
6 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| MAG
2
2 | style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| HUN
1
1 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| HUN
2
6 | style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| HOC
1
1 | style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| HOC
2
11 | style="background-color:#EFCFFF"| SIL
1
Ret | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| SIL
2
2 | style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| CAT
1
1 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| CAT
2
4 ! 2nd ! 136 |- id=2011F | 2011 ! nowrap | ISR Racing | | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| SPA
1
10 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| SPA
2
9 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| MNZ
1
6 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| MNZ
2
2 | style="background-color:#FFFFBF"| MON
1
1 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| NÜR
1
2 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| NÜR
2
5 |

|

style="background-color:#CFCFFF"| HUN
2
12 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| SIL
1
2 | style="background-color:#DFDFDF"| SIL
2
2 | style="background-color:#DFFFDF"| LEC
1
{{small  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │  │

! 5th ! 144

|}

Full Macau Grand Prix Outcomes

Year	Team	Vehicle	Qualifying Position	Qualifying Race	Final Race
2009	Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Carlin	Dallara F308	5th place	6th place	Did Not Finish (DNF)
Template:Center

Comprehensive Formula One Performance Record

(key) (Races in bold denote pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Chassis Model	Engine Supplier	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	WDC	Points Total
Template:F1	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR6	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	AUS Test Driver	MAL Test Driver	CHN Test Driver	TUR Test Driver	ESP Test Driver	MON Test Driver	CAN Test Driver	EUR Test Driver																	27th place	0 points
	Hispania Racing F1 Team	Hispania F111	Cosworth CA2011 2.4 V8									GBR 19th
	HRT Formula 1 Team												GER 19th	HUN 18th	BEL Retired	ITA Not Classified	SIN 19th	JPN 22nd	KOR 19th	IND 18th	ABU Retired	BRA 20th
Template:F1	Scuderia Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR7	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	AUS 9th	MAL 12th	CHN 17th	BHR 15th	ESP 13th	MON Retired	CAN 14th	EUR 11th	GBR 13th	GER 13th	HUN 15th	BEL 9th	ITA 12th	SIN 9th	JPN 10th	KOR 9th	IND 13th ... (The table continues with detailed race results through 2024, highlighting team, chassis, engine, race finishes, and championship standings.)

Notes: Classified despite not finishing as over 90% of race distance was completed.

Half points granted when less than 75% of race distance was completed.

See also

• Formula One drivers from Australia

External links

• Driver profile on Formula1.com