winery launched a range of reds in Ricciardo’s name under the label, DR3. It might seem odd from a bloke known for drinking champagne from his racing shoe while on the podium. But Ricciardo has always enjoyed fine wine.
Ricciardo with his father, Joe, after winning the Monaco Grand Prix in 2018. “I knew the sacrifice for me to go to Europe, and how much money he was putting into me to make that happen,” Ricciardo says.His passion was cars. He dreamt of one day being an F1 driver. He looks back and says he was nothing but a dreamer full of ambition, just like thousands of other kids who liked motorsport. That said, he did make it to Britain to pursue racing. But then he hit a problem.
Showing enormous promise, after finishing Year 12 at Perth’s Newman College he went to Europe; he knew that if he wanted to make it in F1, that’s where he needed to be. Amid a party-like atmosphere where teenage boys who were also trying to make it as F1 drivers were living it up away from their parents, he realised he needed to knuckle down.
After five years he sensationally switched to the less successful Renault team, believing it had a better chance for growth. Yet halfway through his second year with Renault, with his results improving markedly, he raised eyebrows again by announcing he would move to McLaren.His first season got off to a disappointing start. His younger teammate Lando Norris was claiming more points as Ricciardo struggled to adapt to his new car.
Now Ricciardo is estimated to be worth $110 million, a figure triple what it was when he debuted on theMeanwhile, Ricciardo’s still pushing the limits. It took him the best part of the season to work out how to get the best out of his new McLaren machine. He’s too far behind now to win the championship. But next year offers a real chance. If he does it, he’ll be the third Australian to claim the title after Jack Brabham in the 1950s and 1960s, and Alan Jones in 1980.
But as Smailes points out, Ricciardo needs to overcome a few odds. There hasn’t been a first-time championship winner aged over 30 since 1996. And, he says, most winners take the championship in their fourth or fifth season.
Pretty sure road cycling is more dangerous than F1 these days