For the very first time in 11 decades, Daniel Ricciardo will not be a standard fixture in a System Just one season when the 2023 marketing campaign kicks off on March 5 in Bahrain.
The 33-12 months-old’s downfall in 2022 is a story well informed. In truth, it started out poorly and unsuccessful to improve, forcing McLaren Racing to axe the common Australian regardless of getting a 12 months remaining on his deal.
Ricciardo has considering that returned to Red Bull Racing as the team’s ‘third driver’ for the new campaign, performing as understudy to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Daniel Ricciardo is making ready to sit out for a calendar year immediately after staying a mainstay in Formula A person
A return to the crew in which he loved his finest successes in the activity ought to certainly carry his morale.
And when he sits again and reflects on his Formula A person vocation this Xmas, with a glass of his quite possess DR3 pink wine in hand, there will be a lot of highs and lows to mull over.
Sportsmail takes a appear at Ricciardo’s finest and worst moments in Method Just one.
THE HIGHS
To start with gain in Montreal
The initial time is always particular. Three a long time just after generating his Components 1 debut, Ricciardo tasted his maiden victory in Montreal, where he took out the Canadian Grand Prix with Crimson Bull.
Ricciardo, then 24, certified in P6 and experienced to contend with the all-conquering Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg locking out the front row.
On the other hand, what appeared to be a confirmed just one-two for the Silver Arrows quickly developed into a thrilling contest.
Hamilton was pressured to retire on lap 48 thanks to a brakes failure, allowing for Ricciardo to roar into P2 powering Rosberg, owning steadily climbed the discipline all over the race.
Ricciardo’s 1st Method One acquire arrived in 2014 when he triumphed at the Canadian Grand Prix
The Australian adopted the safety vehicle to victory following Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez crashed
With two laps remaining, the Australian was able to choose the guide, and the timing of his late push could not have been additional great. Felipe Massa and Perez crashed out on the penultimate lap, forcing the protection car to arrive out and letting Ricciardo to coastline in excess of the line and take the chequered flag.
‘Yeah, I am continue to a little bit in shock. Many thanks anyone. This is absurd. Tons of Aussie flags, that is good,’ Ricciardo mentioned immediately after his to start with triumphe.
‘It’s not that we have been top the complete race, so it really is not that I experienced time to recognize that I was likely to acquire, it all happened in the past number of laps, so I imagine which is why it really is nonetheless having a whilst to comprehend in my head.
‘But actually great, a truly good emotion. The race arrived to existence at the end.’
Monza magic revives McLaren
From his leading get in Montreal, to his most the latest victory in Monza, a great deal transpired in between 8 June 2014 and 12 September 2021 for Ricciardo.
A widely-supported transfer to McLaren – by way of Renault – was hoped to be the catalyst for Ricciardo’s flagging occupation, and while things failed to work out for the 33-yr-old, he can always choose solace from offering the team’s greatest end result in the latest years.
A crash between bitter title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen gave Ricciardo an opening to pounce, and he made use of all of his practical experience to acquire it property, with Lando Norris securing a 1-two for McLaren.
It may well not have long gone to strategy at McLaren, but Ricciardo sent their finest outcome in decades
The Shoey
The title ‘Daniel Ricciardo’ triggers ideas of that significant, toothy grin, his radiant sense of humour and, of course, the shoey.
Ricciardo’s signature celebration – which consists of him sipping champagne from a sweaty racing boot – initially started off at the German Grand Prix and the Australian has adopted the hygienically-questionable move at any time because.
Even Lewis Hamilton joined in and dealt with himself to a shoey at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020.
Gerard Butler and Sir Patrick Stewart have also had a style of a shoey, although Australian UFC fighter Tai Tuivasa also performs the celebration right after victories within the Octagon.
Ricciardo introduced Method One – and Lewis Hamilton – to the ‘shoey’ celebration
Delivering in Monaco
The considered of Monaco elicits inner thoughts of despair and elation in equivalent evaluate for Ricciardo.
Back again in 2016, undesirable luck wrecked his opportunity of victory at the legendary circuit, possessing taken pole for the race on the road circuit.
So when he topped the timesheet in qualifying two several years later, Ricciardo was established not to allow this chance slip on a monitor infamous for delivering minimal likelihood to overtake.
The 33-yr-outdated received redemption in Monaco, profitable the grand prix back again in 2018
Ricciardo place in his gutsiest overall performance to keep off Sebastian Vettel for 50 laps
Having easily led for 28 laps, crisis struck the Australian the moment once more, when he uncovered that his Pink Bull was shedding motor ability and items appeared quite bleak when Christian Horner confirmed that there was no possibility of the challenge currently being mounted.
With 50 laps remaining, the chance of Ricciardo ending on top of the podium were being subsequent to zilch. But what followed was the grittiest efficiency the 33-yr-aged has at any time displayed, combating off previous teammate Sebastian Vettel to earn at the iconic venue.
Zak Brown and Cyril Abiteboul ‘stamped for life’
Ricciardo’s stints at McLaren and Renault could not have experienced the pleased ending that all events ideal, but at minimum the affable Aussie remaining an indelible mark on his two bosses after departing their respective paddocks.
For the duration of his time with Renault, staff principle Cyril Abiteboul pledged to get a tattoo in the party that Ricciardo secured a podium for the crew. Lo and behold, Ricciardo sent on that bet at the Nurburgring Grand Prix in 2020.
McLaren manager Zak Brown, obviously acquiring unsuccessful to discover from the Frenchman’s error, also took Ricciardo on in a wager, promising to get inked if he completed in the major three.
The Australian duly arrived by, of training course, profitable in Monza.
‘It’s a real issue. Zak [Brown] and Cyril are now stamped for daily life,’ Ricciardo mentioned. ‘It was superior mainly because a lot of men and women I assume dropped religion that it was at any time likely to transpire but we bought there, it was a good time.
‘There was unquestionably some negotiating – style and design, dimensions and all all those factors – but essentially in the stop, rather pleased with the outcome,’ he extra.
Triple overtake in Baku
It’s been a very long time considering that we’ve noticed Daniel Ricciardo free of charge of any inhibitions, fully commited to pushing the envelope and using it to his rivals.
But if you require a reminder of Ricciardo’s undoubted good quality, the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the great place to start out.
Sitting down in P6 on a lap 22 pink flag restart, the Australian was launched ahead by a substantial tow from Lance Stroll, Felipe Massa and Nico Hulkenberg and in one shift, Ricciardo managed to go all 3 rivals on flip 1 and put himself in third.
That was Ricciardo at the peak of his powers and his move in Baku is regarded as a person of the best overtakes in modern day Formulation 1 heritage.
THE LOWS
Stripped of desire homecoming in Melbourne
Melbourne does not maintain way too several happy reminiscences for Daniel Ricciardo.
For the duration of his initially period with Pink Bull, Ricciardo completed on the front row alongside Lewis Hamilton, but was later on disqualified since he exceeded the utmost gas-movement price of 100kg/h.
Despite passionate pleas from Horner and Red Bull, the FIA refused to budge and Ricciardo was denied a podium in his property country.
His very best finish at Albert Park was P6 again in 2015.
Ricciardo does not have the greatest file in his dwelling country and was denied a podium in 2015
A not-so-friendly wave from teammate Norris
We are back at Monaco for a further small level in Ricciardo’s job.
For the duration of his maiden time with McLaren, the 33-calendar year-outdated was anticipated to be a senior mentor to youthful teammate Lando Norris, but it was the young gun who turned in the more amazing performances in the papaya.
The huge gap amongst Ricciardo and Norris was highlighted in Monaco, with the Briton lapping the Australian and even throwing a cheeky wave in his path as he handed him.
It cannot have been warmly received.
The gulf among Ricciardo and Norris was apparent for all to see at Monaco in 2021
Collision with Max in Baku
It’s hard to picture Daniel Ricciardo getting a frosty partnership with any individual, and absent from the track the Australian is mentioned to have been close friends with Max Verstappen, but through the 2018 year factors were being tense amongst the Purple Bull duo.
Factors reached boiling stage at the exact location wherever RIcciardo executed his greatest overtake – Azerbaijan – 12 months on from that unbelievable go.
On lap 40, Ricciardo benefitted from a slipstream on his Dutch teammate and attempted to overtake, but Verstappen fought tooth and nail for the posture and Ricciardo finished up likely into the back again of his fellow Purple Bull.
It was the starting of the stop for Ricciardo at Crimson Bull following Azerbaijan in 2018
Ricciardo and Verstappen collided and Red Bull sided with the youthful Dutchman
The pair had been despatched spinning off the monitor, leaving Horner furious. Equally motorists had been penalised by the FIA as a end result.
That heated minute was the beginning of the conclude for Ricciardo at Pink Bull, with the Australian frustrated that his group did not side with him in the aftermath.
McLaren axing
There can be no sugarcoating it – obtaining your contract terminated a yr prior to its conclusion is nothing at all small of a failure.
Certainly, Ricciardo delivered in Monza but getting remaining a mid-desk automobile in which he performed quite well, the 33-year-outdated stagnated and later on declined in the papaya, a great deal to the shock of followers, the crew and himself.
The rumour mill was in comprehensive swing from the extremely beginning of the 2022 year, with experiences suggesting that McLaren ended up surveying their alternatives, and it arrived as no surprise when the team verified Ricciardo’s exit halfway via the campaign.