A weekend filled with disappointment and deepening concern for the career of Daniel Ricciardo turned a small corner on Sunday at Albert Park. Towards the end of last season, Verstappen daniel ricciardo funny moments committed his long-term future to Red Bull by signing a new contract. It was a welcome announcement for the team, but also created further intrigue over Ricciardo's position.
In our latest Question of the Week series entry, we asked our readers just which moment they felt was peak Honey Badger, and these are some of the best bits we plucked from a busy comments section. Ricciardo has always been good value on Grill The Grid and this was no different in the latest edition of F1’s popular annual quiz. While some appeared slightly nervous about the tasks they would be faced with, the former Red Bull driver was always up for the test.
The Honey Badger sits 10 points behind his team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, collecting just 12 points across 16 races this season. “Obviously, I wish I could produce it every weekend, but I take a little bit of heat away from myself. It’s every track kind of suits one or the other, and it’s hard to shine when you’re in such a tight fight. “So I think I already lost probably two and a half good laps of the tyre, and that was maybe the difference.
It was then the lead of the race at the close of Lap 68 as Rosberg could not defend into T12 as Ricciardo breezed around the German’s outside. The Australian would ultimately take his first win in F1 by 4.236s to Rosberg, with Vettel joining teammate Ricciardo on the podium. Toro Rosso had seen Ricciardo out-qualify teammate Jean-Eric Vergne after reaching Q3 at the Frenchman’s expense, as well. His race then hit an early blip when contact with Bruno Senna of Williams forced Ricciardo to pit at the end of the first lap to get a new front wing. Whilst Singapore may be the last time we see Ricciardo racing on the F1 grid, he could make a return to the scene of some of his greatest racing after receiving a unique offer.
Tsunoda, who was on the verge of overtaking Kevin Magnussen for 12th place, was told to let Ricciardo, who was on a faster tyre compound, pass him to challenge Magnussen. Despite complying, Tsunoda's immediate reaction over the team radio presented his anger. Daniel Ricciardo, the seasoned Formula 1 driver, found himself at the centre of speculation regarding his future in the sport, following a series of underwhelming performances in the initial races of the 2024 season. Despite finishing 13th and 16th in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, respectively, Ricciardo's spirit remains unbroken. His recent performances have prompted discussions about whether the Australian racer, now 34, is beyond his prime.
He asserts that while motivation acts as a powerful catalyst for initiating action, it is habit that sustains one's progress over the long haul. Motivation is fleeting, fueled by momentary bursts of enthusiasm or inspiration, but it alone cannot guarantee consistent dedication and perseverance. It is through the cultivation of positive habits that individuals are able to persist, withstand challenges, and ultimately emerge triumphant. By embracing the notion that success is a product of habitual discipline, Ricciardo's quote encourages us to focus on establishing consistent routines that foster continual growth and progress, even when motivation momentarily wavers.
The Silver Arrows drivers, despite being title rivals, also agreed to swap positions in P2 and P3 with Rosberg’s lack of pace holding Hamilton up. It all appeared set to see Ricciardo stand on his home podium for the first time, as well, after finishing the Australian GP in P2 for Red Bull. But his joy was quickly smashed into pieces on debut for the team from Milton Keynes as Ricciardo was disqualified from the Australian GP. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesThe 2014 season proved to be dominated by Mercedes after Formula 1 introduced the 1.6L V6 turbo-hybrid power unit. But the first race of the era only saw 14 of the 22 cars take the finish at the Australian Grand Prix following a wealth of engine issues up and down the grid.
In qualifying, Ricciardo finished in a discreet tenth position, which left him with a difficult job for Sunday, having to overtake many positions to get a good result. Nevertheless, the Australian drove with iron hands on Sunday, and between incidents and overtaking, he was making his way through the grid. It looked like the race was going to end like that, but with 16 laps to go, Lewis Hamilton’s engine blew up, so Ricciardo inherited the lead, crossing the finish line first, followed by Verstappen. This one-two was Red Bull’s first since the 2013 Brazilian GP. Nico Rosberg completed the podium after a remarkable comeback following his accident at the first corner. On Sunday, the Australian climbed up to second place at the first corner following the incident between Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg and remained in this position for most of the race.
He also had a run of three consecutive points scores from the Singapore to the Korean Grand Prix. At the first race at the Silverstone circuit, Ricciardo was involved in a spectacular incident with pole-sitter Jon Lancaster, in which Ricciardo was sent into a barrel roll, eventually landing on his wheels. The crash saw the end of his race, with teammate Jean-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.
A belief that Red Bull rallied around Verstappen would help tempt Ricciardo to leave the team when his contract expired at the end of 2018. But while Red Bull’s mechanics greeted Ricciardo to remove his inters, they were not ready with his slick tyres. Their pit crew eventually scurried out of the garage with new tyres, but the damage was done as Ricciardo emerged back on the track right behind Hamilton again. Conditions improving changed the face of the race, however, as Red Bull called Ricciardo in to trade his full wets for Pirelli’s intermediate tyres. Mercedes took advantage of the call to keep Hamilton on full wets after gaining the race lead around Monte Carlo’s narrow streets.
In a remarkable turn of events, Daniel Ricciardo has made a significant comeback in the Formula 1 world, highlighted by a standout performance in the Mexican Grand Prix. This resurgence reflects his new mindset, as he no longer feels the burden of immense pressure, marking a “second phase” in his career. Grid, was released by Red Bull Racing on Thursday and will be replaced immediately by Liam Lawson. It marks a full-circle moment for the 34-year-old Australian, who made his F1 debut with Hispania Racing midway through the 2011 campaign, before progressing to Toro Rosso and then Red Bull, where he claimed seven of his eight Grand Prix wins. “Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us,” RB team principalLaurent Mekies said.