Career Timeline of Daniel Ricciardo: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Daniel Ricciardo built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Daniel Ricciardo is an Australian racing driver known for his Formula One career from 2011 to 2024. Over 14 seasons, he secured eight Grand Prix victories, establishing himself as a prominent figure in motorsport. Ricciardo is widely recognized for his overtaking skills and charismatic personality, making him a fan favorite.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1960: First Australian to win in Belgium since Jack Brabham

In 1960, Jack Brabham became the first Australian to win in Belgium.

2005: Debut in Junior Formulae

In 2005, Daniel Ricciardo debuted in his regional Formula Ford championship.

2005: Entered Western Australian Formula Ford championship

In 2005, Daniel Ricciardo entered the Western Australian Formula Ford championship, finishing eighth.

2005: Competed in National Formula Ford series

Towards the end of the 2005 season, Daniel Ricciardo competed at the national Formula Ford series in Melbourne, but his aging car was uncompetitive.

2006: Australian Kart Champion and Grand Prix visit

In 2006, Daniel Ricciardo was crowned the Australian kart champion and won a pass to the Australian Grand Prix.

2007: Selected by Red Bull Junior Team

After finishing sixth in 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia, Daniel Ricciardo was selected by Red Bull Junior Team.

2008: Formula Three Debut at Nürburgring

During the mid-part of the 2008 season, Daniel Ricciardo made his Formula Three debut at the Nürburgring, joining SG Formula's Formula 3 Euro Series team.

2008: Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup Win

In 2008, Daniel Ricciardo won the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup with SG Formula.

October 2009: Signed by Tech 1 for 2010 Season

On 30 October 2009, Daniel Ricciardo was signed by Tech 1 to compete in the 2010 season.

December 2009: Red Bull Racing Test

In December 2009, Daniel Ricciardo tested for Red Bull Racing at Circuito de Jerez, clocking the fastest time on the final day.

2009: Moved to British Formula 3 Championship

For the 2009 season Daniel Ricciardo moved to the British Formula 3 Championship driving for Carlin Motorsport.

2009: British Formula 3 Championship Win

In 2009, Daniel Ricciardo won the British Formula 3 Championship with Carlin.

November 2010: Red Bull Racing Test

In November 2010, Daniel Ricciardo represented Red Bull Racing at the end-of-season young driver's test at the Yas Marina Circuit, dominating the event.

2010: To compete in 2010 season

Daniel Ricciardo was signed to compete in the 2010 season.

2010: Potential Replacement of Hartley

In 2010, Christian Horner suggested Daniel Ricciardo may replace Brendon Hartley as the team's test and reserve driver.

2010: 2010 Season Highlights

In 2010, Daniel Ricciardo took pole position at Alcañiz, Spain, finishing third and second in the races. At Spa-Francorchamps, he was relegated to last. He secured his third pole position in Monte Carlo and won his first race, followed by wins at the Hungaroring and Hockenheimring. Tech 1 team boss Simon Abadie praised Ricciardo's performance.

2010: Mark Webber wins the Hungarian Grand Prix

In 2010, Mark Webber won the Hungarian Grand Prix for Red Bull, becoming the first Australian to win the race.

June 2011: Contracted to Hispania Racing

On 30 June 2011, Daniel Ricciardo was contracted to Hispania Racing by Red Bull Racing, replacing Narain Karthikeyan for the remaining races of the 2011 season (excepting the Indian Grand Prix).

October 2011: Ricciardo Races in India

On 22 October 2011, HRT F1 announced that Vitantonio Liuzzi made way for Karthikeyan, allowing Ricciardo to race in India and extend his learning curve.

December 2011: Signed with Scuderia Toro Rosso for 2012

On 14 December 2011, Daniel Ricciardo was confirmed to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2012 season, alongside Jean-Éric Vergne.

2011: Renault's first podium since 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

At the Eifel Grand Prix in 2011, Ricciardo secured third, earning the team's first podium since the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.

2011: Formula One Debut

In 2011, Daniel Ricciardo debuted in Formula One.

2011: Raced for ISR Racing

In 2011, Daniel Ricciardo raced for ISR Racing prior to his HRT call-up.

2011: Toro Rosso Test and Reserve Driver

In 2011, Daniel Ricciardo was confirmed as Toro Rosso's test and reserve driver, participating in the first free practice session of each race weekend.

2012: Driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso

In 2012, Daniel Ricciardo drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso for the season, alongside Jean-Éric Vergne.

2012: Full-time Drive with Toro Rosso

In 2012, Daniel Ricciardo earned a full-time drive with Toro Rosso, competing in two seasons with Jean-Éric Vergne.

2013: Re-signed with Toro Rosso

In 2013, Toro Rosso re-signed Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne for the season.

October 2014: Ricciardo to partner with Kvyat for 2015

In October 2014, it was announced that Daniel Ricciardo would partner with Daniil Kvyat for the 2015 season, following Sebastian Vettel's departure from the team. He also secured his final podium of the year at the United States Grand Prix in October 2014.

2014: First F1 Win at Canadian Grand Prix

At the Canadian Grand Prix in 2014, Daniel Ricciardo achieved his first Formula One win after overtaking Sergio Pérez and Nico Rosberg in the last four laps. He became the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix in Formula One, and broke the streak of Mercedes victories. Fernando Alonso praised Ricciardo's driving.

2014: Podium finish at the United States Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo finished third in Hungary and recorded his first podium since the 2014 United States Grand Prix.

2014: Replaced Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing

In 2014, Daniel Ricciardo replaced Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the start of the Formula One season, partnering Sebastian Vettel.

2014: Promotion to Red Bull

In 2014, Daniel Ricciardo was promoted to Red Bull, replacing Mark Webber and partnering with Sebastian Vettel. He finished third in the championship and won the Canadian Grand Prix, along with wins in Hungary and Belgium.

2014: 2014 Season Points

In the 2014 season, Ricciardo recorded his first points at the Bahrain Grand Prix, finishing fourth. He finished fourth again at the Chinese Grand Prix, and secured third place at the Spanish Grand Prix. In Monaco, Ricciardo qualified in third, narrowly losing to Lewis Hamilton for second place.

February 2015: Fastest Formula One driver on Top Gear

In February 2015, Daniel Ricciardo became the fastest Formula One driver to lap the Top Gear test track during the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment, setting a time of 1:42.2 on the British motoring television programme Top Gear.

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2016: Best finish for Renault since returning to the sport

At the Italian Grand Prix in 2016, Daniel Ricciardo finished in fourth place, his best result of the year. Hülkenberg finished in fifth, contributing to Renault's best finish since the team returned to the sport in 2016.

2016: Victory at Malaysian Grand Prix and Third in Standings

In 2016, Daniel Ricciardo returned to the top of the podium at the Malaysian Grand Prix and clinched third in the standings.

2017: Azerbaijan Grand Prix Win

In 2017, Daniel Ricciardo secured a win for Red Bull at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

August 2018: Ricciardo signs with Renault

On August 3, 2018, Daniel Ricciardo announced that he had signed a contract to drive for Renault in 2019 and 2020.

2018: First Podium since 2018 Monaco Grand Prix

At the Eifel Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo secured third, his first podium since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.

2018: Wins at Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix

In 2018, Daniel Ricciardo achieved wins for Red Bull at the Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix.

2019: First season with Renault

In 2019, Daniel Ricciardo began his first season driving for Renault with Nico Hülkenberg as teammate. He had a poor start to the season with retirements in the first two races.

2020: Second season with Renault

Daniel Ricciardo was contracted with Renault for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In 2020, Esteban Ocon replaced Hülkenberg as his teammate.

2020: Podiums and Fifth in Championship with Renault

In 2020, Daniel Ricciardo achieved multiple podiums and finished fifth in the championship with Renault.

2020: Season start and point finishes

In 2020, Daniel Ricciardo started the season with a retirement at the Austrian Grand Prix. He finished eighth at the Styrian and Hungarian Grand Prix races.

2021: Joins Mclaren

In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren replacing Carlos Sainz Jr. He partnered with Lando Norris. Ricciardo finished seventh in the Bahrain Grand Prix after a collision with Pierre Gasly caused damage to his car. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he finished sixth after letting Norris past. He recovered to ninth at the Portuguese Grand Prix after starting sixteenth.

2021: Joining McLaren and Winning Italian Grand Prix

In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren, achieving his only race win and podium for the team at the Italian Grand Prix.

2022: Leaving McLaren

In 2022, amid struggles for form, Daniel Ricciardo left McLaren at the end of the season.

July 2023: Returns to Formula One with AlphaTauri

In July 2023, Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, returning to Formula One at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. Christian Horner confirmed Ricciardo was a potential replacement for Sergio Pérez at Red Bull. He qualified and finished 13th in Hungary and finished 16th at the Belgian Grand Prix.

2023: Ricciardo to leave F1 grid

Following qualifying of the Japanese Grand Prix in 2023, Daniel Ricciardo announced that he would not be on the grid for the 2023 Formula One season.

2023: Reserve Driver for Red Bull and Return with AlphaTauri

In 2023, Daniel Ricciardo re-signed as a reserve driver for Red Bull and later replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri from the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards.

2023: Returns to Red Bull Racing as Third Driver

In 2023, Daniel Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull Racing as a third driver after being replaced at McLaren by Oscar Piastri. He assisted in simulator and factory work, attended race weekends, and drove the Red Bull Racing RB19 in Pirelli tests at Silverstone on July 11.