Daniel Ricciardo is hanging up his boots

Daniel Ricciardo is hanging up his boots

Look closely at any major sport in the world. There will be a couple of standout individuals who have changed the game in distinct ways. In Formula 1, the traditional way to stand out amongst the rest is to dominate. But Daniel Ricciardo became a beloved member of the paddock for a different reason: just being himself. He has brought entertainment to an otherwise serious sport, and unfortunately, his time in Formula 1 has come to an end. So let's celebrate this Aussie by diving into his story as a F1 driver. 

Daniel's rise to fame began in Australia, where he dabbled in the world of racing. He was soon recognised as a talented young driver; to ensure he stayed ahead of the drivers from an early age, he moved to Europe and began competing in Formula 3. After winning the British Formula 3 championship in 2009 at the age of 20, he received an offer to compete in Formula Renault 3.5 the following year.

Unfortunately for Ricardo, he finished only two points behind the championship leader Mikhail Aleshin after an incident at Silverstone late into the season. It was at this point that he started to be recognised as a talented youngster capable of racing in the big leagues. Soon after his Formula Renault championship, Red Bull put Daniel through the post-season rookie test in both 2009 and 2010. 

With obvious optimism in making it to Formula 1, he continued to race in the Formula Renault championship in 2011, but increased F1 demands introduced him to a new world of racing. He began his F1 story by taking advantage of a chance to gain seat time for the Toro Rosso team during a Friday practice.

In 2011, Daniel got his first crack in the big leagues with his debut at Silverstone, racing from the back of the grid with the HRT team. He showed strong potential early on and could clearly hold his own on track. This impressed the Toro Rosso team, which would offer him a seat for the 2012 season.

Toro Rosso gave the Aussie the opportunity to develop as an F1 driver, and soon he found himself in the points positions, providing his more experienced teammate, Jean-Eric Vergne, with some serious competition. Soon he was consistently beating his teammate in the later half of his first season. He spent two years at the TR team, and a retirement announcement from Mark Weber meant he had a shot at joining Toro Rosso's lead team, Red Bull. 

Unfortunately, Daniel's arrival at the championship-winning team, Red Bull, was poorly timed as the Mercedes W05 proved to be more competitive. Fortunately, Daniel further impressed the world, as he managed to not only keep up with four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel but also win races. Canada provided him with his first chance to win after both Mercs were forced to retire due to technical issues. 

A controversially timed safety car at the Hungry GP gave Daniel his second opportunity to stand at the top step of the podium. He continued to score numerous points throughout the season, finishing third in the 2014 driver championship. 

After enduring several challenging years competing against the dominant Lewis at Mercedes, Daniel decided to switch to Renault for the 2019-2020 season. A number of technical problems with the car stopped the team from being competitive, so when Carlos Sainz announced his move to Ferrari following Sebastian's departure, Daniel quickly snatched up a seat at McLaren for the 2021 season. 

Over his sporadic time in Formula 1, the world began to realise that Daniel was more than just a driver; he was a personality that people adored. The way he balanced professionalism with humour was contagious, and quickly he became a fan favourite all around the world. Although Daniel wasn’t performing as well as we might have expected at McLaren, the world continued to love his antics. And in 2023 he moved to Alpha Tauri, where his lack of success as a competitive driver continued to show. 

He struggled at the back of the pack, and his poor performance in the 2024 season sealed his fate in Formula 1. Although he lacks the pedigree of drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, his character won over the hearts of F1 fans around the world.

Daniel did see his fair share of success in the sport, with eight GP wins, 32 podium finishes, and finishing top three in the drivers' championship twice. He has scored 1,329 points in 257 races and is ranked 35^th on the all-time drivers list. So he is a world-class driver. But unfortunately, like all good things, his time in the sport has come to an end.

I think it's safe to say that Daniel Ricciardo will be missed, and the laughs we'll share through his antics will no longer be found in the prestigious F1 paddock. It's a shame to see a character so full of humble joy leave the F1 world, but I'm sure he will have his fans wherever he chooses to race next. So, from us here at TopGear SA, we would like to say thank you for the laughs and entertainment that brought F1 into a new light. We love watching you race, and we look forward to seeing you compete wherever you wind up next.