Daniel Ricciardo is an Italian- Australian Formula One driver who has achieved massive success in the international racing industry. The racing mogul, coming from humble beginnings, has evolved into one of the most influential figures in the Formula One to date, currently sitting at a net worth of $50 Million,
Ricciardo’s love for racing began in the early years of his life. Growing up in Perth, he watched his father race at the Barbagallo Raceway in Wanneroo before pursuing his own interest in racing karts at the young age of nine, in 1998. Prior to Formula One, Daniel Ricciardo was successful in a range of racing competitions, beginning with the Formula Ford championship, where he finished eighth by the end of the season. By mid-2008, Ricciardo was competing in the Formula Three division, winning the British Formula Three championship in 2009 and finishing runner up for Renault in 2010.
Daniel’s path to Formula One came through the Red Bull young drivers programme. He drew the Red Bull Racing Team’s Manager Christian Horner’s attention after clocking the fastest test time by over a second on the last day of the program. Early in his Formula One career, he debuted with HRT (formerly known as Hispania racing), competing in eleven races with a top place of 18th. In 2014, Ricciardo was selected by Red Bull to replace Mark Webber, staying in the team until 2018. Notably, in 2017, Daniel won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix while also securing eight other podiums in the season. After a turbulent run at Red Bull, Ricciardo signs to Renault in 2019, finishing ninth and fourth in the 2019-20 seasons, respectively; the 2020 season being cut short due to Covid-19.
More recently, in 2021, Daniel Ricciardo has moved over to McLaren for the 2021-22 seasons. After many years of car issues at Red Bull and Renault, it was worrying when his move to McLaren began in the same fashion. However, a few weeks ago, Ricciardo successfully won the Italian Grand Prix, his first top podium position since 2018. Ricciardo was overcome with emotion as he took home the title, remarking, “For anyone who thought I left – I never left. I just moved aside for a while”. The podium finish also marked the Grand Prix win for the McLaren team in nine years.
Ricciardo has been described as the “Honey Badger”, in reference to his racing style – seemingly laid-back to the eye, but once things get competitive, he can turn savage”. Ricciardo has confirmed these claims in a press release, stating how he channels his fire into success.
“It’s something I’ve had since I was a kid. I’ve always been the easy-going kid with a smile, but I’ve always had the ability to switch attitudes, switch focus very quickly”.
The Australian Grand Prix will be held in April of 2022, as per the Formula One Calendar. As this draws nearer, Ricciardo is determined to take home the title under the McLaren banner. Daniel Ricciardo’s fire and determination are certainly paying off; The Australian racing mogul is a profile to watch over the next Formula One season.