Daniel Ricciardo facts for kids

"Ricciardo" redirects here. For the given name, see Riccardo.

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 36) 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

Daniel Joseph Ricciardo (born 1 July 1989) is an Australian racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 2011 to 2024. Ricciardo has won eight Formula One Grands Prix during his 14 seasons in the sport.

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. He won his first major title in 2008 in the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup. Then, he won the British Formula 3 Championship in 2009.

Ricciardo made his Formula One debut at the 2011 British Grand Prix with the HRT Formula 1 Team. He joined Toro Rosso full-time in 2012. In 2014, he moved to Red Bull, where he won his first Grand Prix in Canada. He also won races in Hungary and Belgium that year. He continued to win races with Red Bull until 2018.

In 2019, Ricciardo joined Renault. He raced for them for two seasons, getting some podium finishes. In 2021, he moved to McLaren. He won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix with McLaren, which was a big moment. After struggling for a while, he left McLaren at the end of 2022. He returned to Red Bull as a reserve driver in 2023. Later in 2023, he joined AlphaTauri (which became RB in 2024). He raced for them until the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo has achieved eight race wins, three pole positions, 16 fastest laps, and 32 podium finishes in Formula One. He was also honored as a Member of the Order of Australia in 2022.

Early Life and First Races
Junior Racing Career
Formula One Career
Driver Profile
- Driving Style
Personal Life
Awards and Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and First Races

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

Growing up, Daniel watched his father race at Barbagallo Raceway. He started karting, which is a type of racing with small vehicles, when he was nine years old.

Junior Racing Career

Ricciardo in October 2009

Starting in Karts

Daniel started karting at age nine. He was part of the Tiger Kart Club and took part in many karting events. He even became the Australian karting champion in 2005. This win gave him a pass to the 2006 Australian Grand Prix.

Moving to Race Cars

In 2005, Daniel started racing in the Western Australian Formula Ford championship. He finished eighth in his first season.

After that, he moved to other junior racing series. In 2007, he finished sixth in the Formula Renault 2.0 Italia series. Because of his talent, he was chosen to join the Red Bull Junior Team.

Racing in Formula Three

In 2008, Daniel made his debut in Formula Three at the Nürburgring track. He then moved to the British Formula 3 Championship in 2009. He won seven races and became the champion that year.

Formula Renault 3.5 Series

Ricciardo in the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Series

In 2010, Daniel joined the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He quickly showed his speed by getting pole position in his first two races. He won his first race in this series in Monaco. He went on to win two more races that season.

He finished second in the championship, losing by only two points. In 2011, he continued to race in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series before getting his chance in Formula One.

Formula One Career

Red Bull Test Driver (2009–2011)

Ricciardo as Scuderia Toro Rosso's third driver at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

Daniel first drove a Formula One car in December 2009. He tested for Red Bull Racing and was very fast. He was then confirmed as a test and reserve driver for both Red Bull and their sister team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, for the 2011 season. This meant he would practice with the teams at races.

HRT (2011)

Ricciardo racing for HRT at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix

In June 2011, Daniel got his first chance to race in a Formula One Grand Prix. He joined the HRT Formula 1 Team for most of the remaining races that season. His first race was the 2011 British Grand Prix. He finished 19th in that race. He raced in 11 Grands Prix for HRT in 2011.

Toro Rosso (2012–2013)

2012 Season

Ricciardo driving for Toro Rosso at the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

In 2012, Daniel became a full-time driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso. His teammate was Jean-Éric Vergne. At the first race in Australia, Daniel finished ninth, scoring his first Formula One points. He finished 18th in the championship with 10 points.

2013 Season

Ricciardo at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

Daniel stayed with Toro Rosso for the 2013 season. He scored points in several races, including a best finish of seventh in China and Italy. He often out-qualified his teammate. His strong performances led to him being promoted to the main Red Bull team for the next season. He finished 13th in the championship with 20 points.

Red Bull (2014–2018)

Daniel joined Red Bull Racing in 2014, partnering with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

2014 Season: First Wins

Ricciardo at the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix

In his first race with Red Bull in Australia, Daniel finished second. However, he was later disqualified due to a fuel rule. He got his first podium in Spain, finishing third.

At the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix, Daniel took his first ever Formula One win! He became only the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix. He then won again in Hungary and Belgium. His wins broke Mercedes' winning streak. Daniel finished third in the championship with 238 points and three wins. He also won the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year in 2015.

2015 Season: Tough Year

Ricciardo at the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix

The 2015 season was harder for Red Bull. Their car was not as fast as Mercedes or Ferrari. Daniel still managed to get two podiums, finishing third in Hungary and second in Singapore. He ended the season in eighth place with 92 points.

2016 Season: The "Shoey"

Ricciardo after winning the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

In 2016, Red Bull's car was much better. Daniel got his first pole position in Monaco, but a slow pit stop cost him the win, and he finished second.

He finally won his first race of the season at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix. After this win, he started his famous "shoey" celebration, where he drinks champagne from his racing boot! He even convinced others to do it with him. Daniel finished third in the Drivers' Championship with 256 points, one win, and seven other podiums.

2017 Season

Ricciardo at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

Daniel had a strong start to 2017, getting five podiums in a row. He won the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a very exciting race with many changes. He finished fifth in the championship with 200 points, one win, and nine podiums.

2018 Season: Last Year at Red Bull

Ricciardo at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix

Daniel started 2018 with a win in China, showing great overtaking skills. He also won the famous 2018 Monaco Grand Prix from pole position, despite having a car issue. This was his second pole position in F1.

However, he had a lot of bad luck with his car breaking down, especially in the second half of the season. He had eight retirements in total. In August, Daniel announced he would leave Red Bull at the end of the year. He finished sixth in the championship with 170 points.

Renault (2019–2020)

2019 Season

Ricciardo at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix

In 2019, Daniel joined the Renault team. He had a tough start with some retirements. His best result was fourth place at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix. He finished ninth in the championship with 54 points.

2020 Season: Podiums with Renault

Ricciardo at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix

Daniel had a much better 2020 season with Renault. He scored points in 11 races in a row. He achieved his first podium with Renault at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, finishing third. This was his first podium since 2018. He got another third-place finish at the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. He finished fifth in the championship with 119 points.

McLaren (2021–2022)

2021 Season: Monza Win!

Ricciardo at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

Daniel moved to McLaren for the 2021 season. He had a challenging start, often struggling to match his teammate's pace.

However, at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Daniel had an amazing weekend! He started on the front row and took the lead at the start. He held on to win the race, leading his teammate to a one-two finish for McLaren. This was McLaren's first win in many years. He finished eighth in the championship with 115 points.

2022 Season: Challenges

Ricciardo at the 2022 French Grand Prix

The 2022 season was difficult for Daniel. He missed the final pre-season test due to COVID-19. He struggled with the car's performance throughout the year. His best finish was fifth place in Singapore. In August 2022, McLaren and Daniel agreed to end his contract early. He finished 11th in the championship with 37 points.

Red Bull Third Driver (2023)

After leaving McLaren, Daniel rejoined Red Bull Racing as a third driver for the 2023 season. This role involved helping with simulator work and attending some races.

AlphaTauri / RB (2023–2024)

2023 Season: Return to Racing

In July 2023, Daniel made a surprise return to racing. He replaced another driver at AlphaTauri. His first race back was the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.

During practice for the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix, Daniel broke a bone in his hand. This injury forced him to miss four races. He returned for the 2023 United States Grand Prix. His best result was seventh place at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix, scoring his first points of the season. He finished 17th in the championship with six points.

2024 Season: Final Races

AlphaTauri was renamed RB for the 2024 season, and Daniel stayed with the team. He scored points in the Miami sprint race, finishing fourth. He also got points in the Canadian Grand Prix, finishing eighth despite a penalty.

At the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Daniel finished 18th and set the fastest lap. A few days later, it was announced that he would be replaced by another driver for the rest of the season. Daniel finished 17th in the championship with 12 points.

Driver Profile

Driving Style

Daniel Ricciardo is known for his exciting and aggressive driving style. He is especially good at making late braking moves to overtake other cars. He likes to carry a lot of speed through corners, making them more of a 'U' shape.

Personal Life

Daniel pronounces his last name "Ricardo" (RIK-ar-DOH). This is how it was usually said when he was growing up in Australia.

He chose the number 3 for his racing car because he was a big fan of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., who also used that number.

Daniel supports the Australian Football League team, the West Coast Eagles. He is also a fan of UFC and the Buffalo Bills American football team. He is in a relationship with Heidi Berger, who is the daughter of former F1 driver Gerhard Berger.