Daniel Ricciardo facts for kids

Daniel Joseph Ricciardo AM (pronounced RIK-ar-DOH; born 1 July 1989) is an Australian racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2011 to 2024. Ricciardo has won eight Formula One races during his 14 seasons.

He was born and grew up in Perth, Australia. His parents are Italian-Australian. Daniel started kart racing when he was nine years old. He moved up to junior racing series in 2005. Ricciardo won his first championship in 2008. This was the 2008 Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup. He then won the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship.

Ricciardo made his Formula One debut in 2011. He drove for the HRT team. He then joined Toro Rosso in 2012. He raced for them for two seasons.

In 2014, Ricciardo moved to Red Bull. He replaced Mark Webber. In his first year with Red Bull, he finished third in the championship. He also won his first race at the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix. He won two more races that year in Hungary and Belgium. After a year without wins in 2015, he won again in 2016 at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix. He finished third in the standings again. He won more races for Red Bull in 2017 and 2018.

Ricciardo joined Renault in 2019. He stayed with them for two seasons. He achieved several podium finishes in 2020. Then, he moved to McLaren in 2021. He won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix with McLaren. This was his only win and podium with the team. Ricciardo left McLaren at the end of 2022. He returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver in 2023.

Later in 2023, Ricciardo returned to racing. He joined AlphaTauri. He kept his seat for the 2024 season when the team became RB. However, he was replaced by Liam Lawson after the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.

Ricciardo has achieved eight race wins in Formula One. He also has three pole positions and 16 fastest laps. He has stood on the podium 32 times. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022.

Early Life

Daniel Joseph Ricciardo was born on 1 July 1989. This was in Perth, Western Australia. His parents are Italian-Australian. His father, Giuseppe "Joe" Ricciardo, moved to Australia when he was seven. His mother, Grace Pulitanò, was born in Australia. Her parents were from Italy. Daniel also has a sister named Michelle.

He grew up in Duncraig. Daniel's first memories of racing were watching his father. His father raced at Barbagallo Raceway. Daniel started karting when he was nine years old.

Junior Racing Career

Karting

Ricciardo started karting at age nine. He was part of the Tiger Kart Club. He took part in many karting events. In 2005, he became the Australian karting champion. This win gave him a pass to the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. There, he met Italian driver Jarno Trulli.

Lower Racing Series

In 2005, Daniel raced in the Western Australian Formula Ford championship. He finished eighth. Later that year, he raced in the national Formula Ford series. His car was old and not very fast.

After finishing sixth in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia series, Ricciardo was chosen by the Red Bull Junior Team.

Formula Three

In 2008, Ricciardo made his Formula Three debut. He joined the SG Formula team. He qualified well despite his limited experience.

Ricciardo moved to the British Formula 3 Championship for the 2009 season. He drove for Carlin Motorsport. He continued with Carlin at the Macau Grand Prix.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

In 2009, Ricciardo signed with Tech 1 for the 2010 season. He had tested with them before.

Ricciardo took pole position for both races at the first round of the 2010 season. He finished third and second in the races. This put him at the top of the championship. He secured his first win at the next race in Monte Carlo. He went on to win two more races that season.

At the Silverstone circuit, Ricciardo had a big crash. His car rolled over. He secured pole for the second race. He led for most of the race. However, braking problems on the final lap meant he lost the lead.

He went into the final round of the season just three points behind the leader. Ricciardo won the first race. This put him tied for first place. In the second race, he finished fourth. He lost the championship by only two points.

In 2011, Ricciardo raced for ISR Racing before joining HRT in Formula One.

Formula One Career

Red Bull Test Driver (2009–2011)

Ricciardo first drove a Formula One car in December 2009. He tested for Red Bull Racing. On the last day, he set the fastest time. Red Bull's team manager, Christian Horner, thought Ricciardo might become a test driver. Ricciardo shared test duties for Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

In November 2010, Ricciardo was confirmed as the only driver to test for Red Bull. He was much faster than the 2010 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel.

Days later, Ricciardo became Toro Rosso's test driver for the 2011 season. He took part in practice sessions at each race.

HRT (2011)

On 30 June 2011, Red Bull Racing arranged for Ricciardo to race for Hispania Racing. He replaced Narain Karthikeyan for most of the 2011 season. Ricciardo made his Grand Prix debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix.

HRT F1 later announced that Vitantonio Liuzzi would step aside for Karthikeyan. This allowed Ricciardo to race in India. It also helped him gain more experience. In the final race in Brazil, Ricciardo finished 20th.

Toro Rosso (2012–2013)

2012

On 14 December 2011, it was confirmed that Ricciardo would drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2012. His teammate was Jean-Éric Vergne.

At the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo finished ninth. This earned him his first two championship points. He finished 12th in wet conditions in Malaysia. In Bahrain, he qualified sixth. He scored points again at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix. He also had three points finishes in a row. These were from Singapore to Korea. Ricciardo finished 18th in the championship with 10 points.

2013

Toro Rosso kept Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne for the 2013 season.

He had a strong start in China. He finished seventh, his best F1 finish so far. He finished tenth in Spain. At the 2013 British Grand Prix, Ricciardo had his best qualifying. He started fifth and finished eighth.

Ricciardo finished seventh again in Italy. He held off Grosjean at the end. He also finished tenth in India and Brazil. Ricciardo often out-qualified his teammate. His strong qualifying performances helped him move to Red Bull. He replaced Mark Webber. Ricciardo finished 13th in the championship with 20 points.

Red Bull (2014–2018)

Ricciardo joined Infiniti Red Bull Racing for the 2014 season. He partnered with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

2014

In the first race in Australia, Ricciardo qualified second. He finished second in the race. However, he was later disqualified. His car used too much fuel. Red Bull appealed, but the decision was upheld.

Ricciardo scored his first points of 2014 in Bahrain. He finished fourth. He finished fourth again in China. Ricciardo got his first podium in Spain. He finished third. In Monaco, he qualified third. He finished third again after problems for his teammate.

At the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo started sixth. He moved up to third during pit stops. In the final laps, he overtook Sergio Pérez and Nico Rosberg. He took his first career win. Ricciardo became the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix. His win broke Mercedes' winning streak. Ricciardo impressed many by beating Vettel. Fernando Alonso called Ricciardo "unbelievable" and "very smart".

Ricciardo won the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix on 27 July. He started fourth. He was third with less than four laps left. He overtook Lewis Hamilton and then Fernando Alonso. He won the race by over five seconds. Ricciardo became the second Australian to win the Hungarian Grand Prix. He then won his third race in Belgium. This was after the two Mercedes drivers crashed. He was the first Australian to win there since 1960.

Ricciardo finished fifth in Italy. He had a close battle with Vettel. In Singapore, he qualified and finished third.

On 4 October 2014, it was announced that Ricciardo would partner Daniil Kvyat in 2015. This was after Vettel left the team. He got his final podium of the year in the United States. Ricciardo secured third place in the championship in Brazil. He had to retire from that race. In the final race in Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo finished fourth. He started from the pit lane. He also set his first fastest lap. For his 2014 performance, Ricciardo won an award in April 2015. He scored 238 points, had three wins, and five other podiums.

2015

In 2015, Ricciardo became the fastest Formula One driver to complete a lap on the Top Gear test track. He beat Lewis Hamilton's record.

In 2015, Red Bull's cars were not as fast. Their Renault engines were not as good as Mercedes and Ferrari. The RB11 car was only fast on slow, twisty tracks or in the rain.

He finished sixth in Australia. His engine broke on the final lap in Bahrain. This forced him to use his last engine for the year. Ricciardo got his first top-five finish in Monaco. He also set the fastest lap. He had a tough race in Canada, finishing 13th.

In Hungary, he was fighting for second place. He crashed with Nico Rosberg. Ricciardo finished third. This was his first podium since 2014. Ricciardo got his second podium in Singapore. He finished second and set another fastest lap.

Ricciardo finished the season with 92 points. He was eighth in the championship. He out-qualified his teammate Kvyat 14 times to 5.

2016

Ricciardo started the 2016 season well. He finished fourth in Australia, Bahrain, and China. In Spain, he qualified third. The two Mercedes cars crashed on the first lap. Ricciardo led the race early on. After pit stops, he dropped behind Max Verstappen and the Ferraris. A tire blowout late in the race meant he finished fourth.

Ricciardo got his first pole position at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix. He led the race in the wet conditions. But a very long pit stop made him lose the lead to Lewis Hamilton. He finished second. Ricciardo was very upset after the race.

He finished seventh in Canada and Azerbaijan. He was fourth in Britain. Ricciardo returned to the podium in Hungary, finishing third. He finished second in Germany. On the podium in Germany, Ricciardo started his "shoey" celebration. He drank champagne from his shoe. He did it again in Belgium. He even convinced Mark Webber to do it. Ricciardo qualified and finished second in Singapore.

Ricciardo qualified fourth in Malaysia. He moved to second after a crash at the start. He took the lead when Lewis Hamilton's engine broke. After a fight with his teammate Verstappen, Ricciardo won his first race of the season. He did the "shoey" again. He got his team boss and other drivers to do it too. He finished third in the United States. Ricciardo secured third place in the Drivers' Championship in Mexico. He scored 256 points. He had one pole, one win, seven other podiums, and three fastest laps. He was one of the only drivers to finish every race in 2016.

2017

Ricciardo qualified 10th in Australia. He crashed in qualifying. He had a penalty for a gearbox change. A sensor issue stopped him from starting the race. He retired after 25 laps. In China, Ricciardo finished fourth. He just lost to his teammate Max Verstappen. He finished fifth in Bahrain. He retired in Russia due to brake problems. Ricciardo got his first podium of the year in Spain. He finished third. This started a streak of five podiums in a row. He finished third in Monaco, Canada, and Austria.

At the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified tenth after hitting a wall. He had brake issues early in the race. He dropped to 17th. But he fought back to the top 10. He was fifth when the race was stopped. After the restart, Ricciardo made an amazing three-car overtake. This moved him to third. He then took the lead when others had problems. He won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Ricciardo had a five-place grid penalty in Britain. He also had a turbo failure in qualifying. He started 19th. He drove amazingly and climbed to fifth place. His good run ended in Hungary. He crashed with his teammate Verstappen. Ricciardo's car was damaged.

Ricciardo finished third in Belgium. He moved up during a safety car restart. In Italy, Ricciardo had an engine penalty. He started 16th. He drove through the field and finished fourth. In Singapore, he finished second. Malaysia gave him another third place. He also finished third in Japan. He then had two retirements in a row.

In Brazil, Ricciardo had another engine penalty. He started 14th. He was involved in a spin at the start. He still finished sixth. He was fourth in the championship for most of the season. But three retirements in the last four races dropped him to fifth. He scored 200 points. He had one win, one fastest lap, and nine podiums.

2018

Ricciardo started 2018 with a fourth place in Australia. He had a penalty for speeding. In Bahrain, he retired early. His result in China was much better. He won the race by almost nine seconds. He started sixth. He and Verstappen pitted for new tires under a safety car. Ricciardo then passed five cars to win. In Azerbaijan, Ricciardo qualified fourth. He was fighting with his teammate Verstappen. On lap 40, both drivers crashed. Both had to retire. After the race, they were told to apologize.

In Spain, Ricciardo finished fifth. He set a new track record. Coming into Monaco, Ricciardo and Verstappen were favorites. Ricciardo was fastest in all practice sessions. He broke the lap record. Ricciardo got his second pole position in Monaco. He was fastest in every qualifying session. In the race, Ricciardo held off Sebastian Vettel. He won his first Monaco Grand Prix. He had to manage a power loss during the race. This win moved him to third in the standings. But it was his last podium of the season. He had a penalty in Canada. He finished fourth.

Front wing damage limited him in France. He finished fourth. More bad luck came in Austria. He retired with an exhaust problem. He finished fifth in Britain after a DRS failure. He started from the back in Germany. He had another engine failure during the race. Bad luck continued in Hungary. A spin in qualifying meant he started low. He fought back to fifth place. He then made contact with Valtteri Bottas. He passed him on the last lap for fourth.

On 3 August, Ricciardo announced he would leave Red Bull at the end of 2018. He had two retirements in a row in Belgium and Italy. He was caught in a crash in Belgium. He had a clutch issue in Italy. He then had two sixth-place finishes. In Russia, he started from the back again. In Japan, Ricciardo had another qualifying problem. An exhaust failure meant he started 15th. He drove well to finish fourth. He had eight retirements in 2018. In the United States, Ricciardo qualified fifth. But he retired on lap 9 with a battery problem.

Ricciardo got pole position in Mexico. He was just ahead of Verstappen. A slow start dropped him to third. He was later passed by Vettel. Ricciardo tried to catch Hamilton. But his car had a hydraulics issue. He retired for the eighth time. After the race, Ricciardo said his car was "cursed". He finished fourth in Brazil. He just missed the podium. Ricciardo finished fourth again in Abu Dhabi. He had four fastest laps in 2018. He finished sixth in the championship with 170 points.

Renault (2019–2020)

2019

On 3 August 2018, Ricciardo signed a contract to drive for Renault in 2019 and 2020. His teammate for 2019 was Nico Hülkenberg. Ricciardo had a bad start to the season. He retired in the first two races. He had front wing damage in Australia. He had a power failure in Bahrain. He scored his first points for Renault in China, finishing seventh. In Azerbaijan, Ricciardo reversed into Daniil Kvyat. Both cars were damaged. This was Ricciardo's third retirement in four races.

He finished six races in a row. He finished 13th in Spain. He had his best qualifying in Monaco, starting sixth. But a late pit stop dropped him to ninth. Ricciardo had a good weekend in Canada. He qualified fourth. He finished sixth. He held off a faster Mercedes car.

Ricciardo finished seventh in France. But he got two five-second penalties. He was dropped out of the points. He finished seventh in Britain. He then had an exhaust failure in Germany. More problems followed in Hungary. He had a bad qualifying. He was stuck behind Kevin Magnussen in the race.

Ricciardo had a grid penalty in Belgium. He started tenth. A crash at the start damaged his car. He fell to 14th. In Italy, Ricciardo qualified fifth. He finished fourth. This was his best result of the year. His teammate Hülkenberg finished fifth. This was Renault's best finish since 2016. Ricciardo qualified eighth in Singapore. But he was disqualified for using too much power. He started from the back. He had a busy race. He moved up to 12th. But he had a puncture after contact. He finished 14th.

Ricciardo was in a crash in Russia. He had to retire. He drove from 16th to sixth in Japan. But both Renault cars were disqualified. They used illegal driver aids. From 13th in Mexico, Ricciardo finished eighth. He pressured Sergio Pérez. He then had two sixth-place finishes. These were in the United States and Brazil. He finished 11th in Abu Dhabi.

Ricciardo finished a disappointing season in ninth place. He had 54 points. He was ahead of his teammate Hülkenberg.

2020

Ricciardo had a new teammate for 2020. Esteban Ocon replaced Hülkenberg. Ricciardo retired in the first race in Austria. His car overheated. He qualified ninth in Styria. He was running sixth. But he was overtaken by two cars. He finished eighth. Ricciardo qualified 11th in Hungary. He finished eighth.

At the 2020 British Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified eighth. He finished fourth. He gained two places in the final laps. He passed Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr.. He was sixth before late tire punctures for other drivers. At the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified fifth. But he spun and finished 14th. He finished 11th in Spain.

Ricciardo then had an 11-race points streak. This started in Belgium. He qualified fourth. He finished fourth. He also set the fastest lap. In Italy, he qualified seventh and finished sixth. In Tuscany, he qualified eighth. He moved up to fourth. He briefly moved to second after a red flag. He finished fourth.

In Russia, Ricciardo was fastest in one qualifying session. He qualified fifth. He finished fifth. He had a five-second penalty for going off track. At the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified sixth. He moved to fourth early on. After Bottas retired, Ricciardo got third. This was Renault's first podium since 2011. It was Ricciardo's first podium since 2018.

In Portugal, he started tenth after a crash in qualifying. He finished ninth. In Emilia Romagna, Ricciardo qualified fifth. He overtook Pierre Gasly on the first lap. He finished third. This was his second podium for Renault. In Turkey, Ricciardo started fifth. He lost positions. He spun himself. He finished tenth.

In Bahrain, he started sixth. He overtook Valtteri Bottas on the first lap. But a bad second start dropped him to tenth. He finished seventh. In Sakhir, he qualified seventh. He had a chance for a podium. But a bad pit stop dropped him. He finished fifth. In his final race for Renault in Abu Dhabi, he qualified 12th. He finished seventh. He also set the fastest lap. He finished fifth in the championship with 119 points.

McLaren (2021–2022)

2021

After two years at Renault, Ricciardo joined McLaren for 2021. He replaced Carlos Sainz Jr.. His teammate was Lando Norris. He qualified sixth for his first race in Bahrain. Pierre Gasly crashed into him. This damaged his car. He finished seventh. In Emilia Romagna, he qualified sixth. He moved to fifth. But he was told to let Norris pass. He finished sixth. In Portugal, Ricciardo started 16th. He recovered to ninth.

In Spain, Ricciardo qualified seventh. He climbed to fifth on the first lap. He defended from Sergio Pérez. He finished sixth. This was his first time finishing ahead of Norris. In Monaco, Ricciardo was out in qualifying early. He finished 12th. His teammate lapped him. A crash in qualifying in Azerbaijan meant Ricciardo started 13th. He climbed to ninth. In France, Ricciardo finished sixth. He held off Pierre Gasly. In Styria, Ricciardo qualified 13th. He moved to eighth. But he lost power and finished 13th. In Austria, Ricciardo finished seventh. In Britain, Ricciardo qualified seventh. He finished the sprint race sixth. He finished the Grand Prix fifth. This was his first top-five finish at McLaren.

In Hungary, Ricciardo qualified 11th. A chaotic start saw him climb to second. But he was hit in another crash. He finished 11th with damage. In Belgium, Ricciardo qualified fourth in wet conditions. The race was stopped due to rain. He was classified fourth. In the Netherlands, Ricciardo qualified tenth. He finished 11th. He let Norris pass him. But he was faster than Norris that weekend.

Ricciardo qualified fifth in Italy. He was just behind Norris. In the sprint race, Ricciardo gained two positions. He finished third. He started Sunday's Grand Prix on the front row. This was due to a penalty for Valtteri Bottas. Ricciardo got a better start than Max Verstappen. He took the lead. He held off Verstappen for 21 laps. He led Norris to claim his first win for McLaren. He also set the fastest lap. This was McLaren's first win since 2012. It was their first one-two finish since 2010. In Russia, Ricciardo qualified fifth. He had a slow pit stop. But a late rain shower helped him. He finished fourth. In Turkey, Ricciardo started at the back. He finished 13th.

In the United States, Ricciardo qualified seventh. He was promoted to sixth. He overtook Sainz on lap one. He held on to fifth place. He helped McLaren score points. Norris finished eighth. In Mexico City, Ricciardo qualified seventh. He made a great start. He made contact with Valtteri Bottas. He lost his front wing. He fell to last. He recovered to 12th. In São Paulo, Ricciardo retired with a power issue. This was his first retirement of the season.

In Qatar, Ricciardo qualified 14th. He finished 12th. Fuel issues affected him. Ricciardo scored points in Saudi Arabia. He qualified 11th. He gained positions during a red flag. He finished fifth. In the final race in Abu Dhabi, Ricciardo qualified tenth. He finished 12th. He was overtaken during a virtual safety car. He finished the 2021 season eighth. He had 115 points and one podium.

2022

Ricciardo missed the final day of testing in Bahrain. He had a positive COVID-19 test. He was cleared for the first race. In Bahrain, he qualified 18th. He finished 14th. In Saudi Arabia, Ricciardo qualified 12th. He had a penalty for blocking. He retired on lap 35 with an engine failure. In Australia, Ricciardo qualified seventh. This was his first time in the final qualifying session. He finished sixth in his home Grand Prix. In Emilia Romagna, Ricciardo qualified sixth for the sprint race. He kept his position. On the first lap of the main race, Ricciardo collided with Carlos Sainz Jr.. Sainz retired. Ricciardo finished last.

In Miami, Ricciardo qualified 14th. He finished 13th. In Spain, Ricciardo qualified ninth. He failed to score points. He finished 12th. Before Monaco, McLaren CEO Zak Brown criticized Ricciardo's performance. Ricciardo crashed in practice in Monaco. He qualified 14th. He finished 13th. In Azerbaijan, Ricciardo finished eighth. He had team orders not to pass Norris. He failed to score points in Canada. He finished 11th. In Britain, Ricciardo qualified 14th. He finished 13th. He had a DRS failure. Ricciardo scored two ninth-place results. These were in Austria and France. In Hungary, he qualified ninth. He finished 15th. He had a penalty for colliding with Lance Stroll.

In August 2022, McLaren and Ricciardo ended his contract early. Ricciardo's poor performances continued. He failed to score points in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Italy, Ricciardo qualified eighth. He was promoted to fourth. He ran in the top 3 early on. He finished eighth. But his race ended on lap 45 with an oil leak. Ricciardo started 16th in Singapore. He finished fifth. This was his best performance of the season. After qualifying in Japan, Ricciardo announced he would not race in 2023. He finished 11th in the wet race.

He had another poor showing in the United States. He finished 16th. In Mexico City, Ricciardo started 11th. He finished seventh. He had a late charge on soft tires. This was despite a ten-second penalty for colliding with Yuki Tsunoda. Ricciardo was in another crash in São Paulo. He tagged Kevin Magnussen. Both drivers retired. Ricciardo received a grid penalty for Abu Dhabi. He finished ninth in the final race. He held off Sebastian Vettel. Ricciardo finished the season 11th in the Drivers' Championship. He had 37 points.

Red Bull Third Driver (2023)

After leaving McLaren, Daniel Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull Racing. He became a third driver for the 2023 season. His role included PR activities. He also helped with simulator and factory work. He attended race weekends to support the team. Ricciardo also drove the Red Bull Racing RB19 in a test. This was in July at Silverstone.

AlphaTauri / RB (2023–2024)

2023

Nyck de Vries left his AlphaTauri seat in July 2023. Ricciardo was announced as his replacement. He returned to Formula One for the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. His teammate was Yuki Tsunoda. Christian Horner said Ricciardo was a possible replacement for Sergio Pérez at Red Bull. Ricciardo qualified and finished 13th in Hungary. He had a first-lap incident. In Belgium, Ricciardo qualified 19th. He went off track. His teammate Tsunoda qualified 11th. Ricciardo had a better sprint shootout. He qualified 11th and finished tenth. In the main race, Ricciardo finished 16th.

During practice for the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo broke a bone in his hand. He could not race for the rest of the weekend. Liam Lawson replaced him. Ricciardo missed four more races. Lawson replaced him in Italy, Singapore, Japan, and Qatar. Ricciardo returned for the 2023 United States Grand Prix. He struggled and finished 15th. Ricciardo qualified a season-best fourth in Mexico City. He finished seventh. This gave him his first points for AlphaTauri. It was also their best finish of the season. In São Paulo, Ricciardo made it to the final sprint qualifying session. He finished ninth in the sprint race. In the main race, his rear wing was hit by a flying tire. He had to start a lap down. He was classified 13th.

He had a tough weekend in Las Vegas. He finished 14th. In Abu Dhabi, he started 15th. He missed out on points. He was just behind Lance Stroll. Ricciardo finished the season 17th. He scored six points in Mexico. These were his only points all year.

2024

AlphaTauri was renamed RB for 2024. They kept Ricciardo and Tsunoda. In Bahrain, Ricciardo qualified 14th. He finished 13th. He swapped positions with Tsunoda. In Saudi Arabia, Ricciardo qualified 14th and finished 16th. He spun on the last lap. In Australia, Ricciardo qualified 18th. His last lap was deleted. He finished 12th in the race.

In Japan, Ricciardo qualified 11th. He retired on the first lap. He collided with Alex Albon. Both hit the barriers. Stewards called it a racing incident. In the sprint race in China, Ricciardo finished 11th. He retired in the main race. He was hit from behind by Lance Stroll. Ricciardo criticized Stroll after the race. Ricciardo got a three-place grid penalty for Miami. He overtook Nico Hülkenberg under a safety car.

In Miami, Ricciardo qualified fourth for the sprint. He finished in his starting position. He earned points. He was praised for defending against Carlos Sainz Jr.. For the main race, Ricciardo qualified 18th. He finished 15th. Ricciardo made it to the final qualifying session in Emilia Romagna. He secured ninth on the grid. He had a poor start. He finished 13th. He finished 12th in Monaco. He was behind Tsunoda. At the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo qualified fifth. This was despite criticism from Jacques Villeneuve. He earned his first Grand Prix points. He finished eighth. He had a five-second penalty for a jump start.

RB struggled in Spain. Ricciardo was out in the first qualifying session. He finished 15th. He just missed the final qualifying session in Austria. He finished ninth. An early pit stop helped him. Ricciardo qualified ninth in Hungary. But a bad pit stop strategy dropped him to 12th. In Belgium, Ricciardo finished 11th. He was promoted to tenth. RB decided to keep Ricciardo after the summer break. He finished the next three races 13th. He had contact in Italy.

In Singapore, there was talk that Ricciardo might be dropped. He had a frustrating qualifying. He started 16th. He finished 18th. He set the fastest lap on the second to last lap. He was emotional after the race. He said it "could be my last Grand Prix". A few days later, RB released Ricciardo. Liam Lawson replaced him.

Ricciardo finished the season 17th. He had 12 points.

Driver Profile

Driving Style

Ricciardo is known for his aggressive driving. He likes to brake late to overtake other cars. He also carries more speed through corners. He makes the corner more of a 'U' shape. He uses a little instability at the start of the turn. This helps him rotate the car. He needs enough grip to stop the back of the car from sliding too much.

Personal Life

Ricciardo says his last name "Ricardo" (RIK-ar-DOH). This is how it was said when he grew up in Australia. It is also how his family says it.

He was a fan of NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Sr.. Ricciardo chose the number 3 as his racing number because of Earnhardt.

Ricciardo supports the Australian Football League team West Coast Eagles. He was their number-one ticket holder in 2015 and 2016.

He is also a fan of UFC. He likes the Buffalo Bills football team.

He supports the Big Bash League team Melbourne Stars. His childhood friend and cricketer Marcus Stoinis plays for them.

He is in a relationship with Heidi Berger. She is the daughter of former F1 driver Gerhard Berger.

Awards and Honours

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

•  Australia
  • Member of the Order of Australia (2022)

Special Awards

• Confartigianato Motori Legend of F1 Award: 2024

Racing Record Summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2005	Western Australian Formula Ford Championship	Privateer	3	0	0	?	0	74	8th
2006	Formula BMW Asia	Eurasia Motorsport	19	2	3	3	12	231	3rd
	Formula BMW UK	Motaworld Racing	2	0	0	0	0	3	20th
	Formula BMW World Final	Fortec Motorsport	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	5th
2007	Formula Renault 2.0 Italy	RP Motorsport	14	0	0	0	0	196	6th
	Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0		4	0	0	0	0	0	NC
2008	Formula Renault 2.0 WEC	SG Formula	15	8	9	7	11	192	1st
	Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0		18	6	5	5	7	136	2nd
	Formula 3 Euro Series		2	0	0	0	0	N/A	NC
	Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	NC
2009	British Formula 3 Championship	Carlin Motorsport	20	7	6	5	13	275	1st
	Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	0	N/A	NC
	Formula Renault 3.5 Series	Tech 1 Racing	2	0	0	0	0	0	34th
	Macau Grand Prix	Carlin	1	0	0	0	0	N/A	NC
2010	Formula Renault 3.5 Series	Tech 1 Racing	17	4	8	5	8	136	2nd
2011	Formula Renault 3.5 Series	ISR	12	1	2	3	6	144	5th
	Formula One	HRT Formula 1 Team	11	0	0	0	0	0	27th
2012	Formula One	Scuderia Toro Rosso	20	0	0	0	0	10	18th
2013	Formula One	Scuderia Toro Rosso	19	0	0	0	0	20	14th
2014	Formula One	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	19	3	0	1	8	238	3rd
2015	Formula One	Infiniti Red Bull Racing	19	0	0	3	2	92	8th
2016	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	21	1	1	4	8	256	3rd
2017	Formula One	Red Bull Racing	20	1	0	1	9	200	5th
2018	Formula One	Aston Martin Red Bull Racing	21	2	2	4	2	170	6th
2019	Formula One	Renault F1 Team	21	0	0	0	0	54	9th
2020	Formula One	Renault DP World F1 Team	17	0	0	2	2	119	5th
2021	Formula One	McLaren F1 Team	22	1	0	1	1	115	8th
2022	Formula One	McLaren F1 Team	22	0	0	0	0	37	11th
2023	Formula One	Scuderia AlphaTauri	8	0	0	0	0	6	17th
2024	Formula One	Visa Cash App RB F1 Team	18	0	0	1	0	5	14th

Images for kids

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  Ricciardo in October 2009

Quick facts for kids Daniel Ricciardo AM
Ricciardo at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix
Born	Daniel Joseph Ricciardo (1989-07-01) 1 July 1989 (age 35) Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Awards	Full list
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Australian
Active years	2011–2024
Teams	HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, AlphaTauri, RB
Car number	3
Entries	258 (257 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	8
Podiums	32
Career points	1329
Pole positions	3
Fastest laps	17
First entry	2011 British Grand Prix
First win	2014 Canadian Grand Prix
Last win	2021 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry	2024 Singapore Grand Prix
2024 position	17th (12 pts)
Previous series
2009–2011 2009 2008 2007–2008 2007 2006 2005	Formula Renault 3.5 British F3 Formula Renault WEC Formula Renault Eurocup Italian Formula Renault Formula BMW Asia WA Formula Ford
Championship titles
2009 2008	British F3 Formula Renault WEC

See also

In Spanish: Daniel Ricciardo para niños