History of Daniel Ricciardo in Timeline
Daniel Ricciardo is an Australian Formula One racing driver who competed from 2011 to 2024. He achieved eight Grand Prix wins throughout his 14 seasons in Formula One. Known for his late-braking overtakes and infectious personality, Ricciardo has driven for teams including HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and AlphaTauri. He has established himself as a popular figure in the sport.
1960: Jack Brabham's Win in Belgium
In 1960, Jack Brabham was the last Australian to win in Belgium before Ricciardo's victory in 2014.
July 1989: Daniel Ricciardo's birth
In July 1989, Daniel Joseph Ricciardo was born. He would go on to become an Australian racing driver who competed in Formula One from 2011 to 2024.
1997: Jacques Villeneuve criticizes Ricciardo in F1
During the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve questioned why Ricciardo was "still in F1".
2004: Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins
In 2004, Jennifer Hawkins was Miss Universe.
2005: Entry into Western Australian Formula Ford Championship
In 2005, Daniel Ricciardo entered the Western Australian Formula Ford championship, driving a 15-year-old Van Diemen and finishing eighth by the end of the season.
2005: Debut in Junior Formulae
In 2005, Ricciardo debuted in his regional Formula Ford championship, marking his entry into junior racing categories.
2005: Participation in National Formula Ford Series
Towards the end of the 2005 season, Daniel Ricciardo competed at the national Formula Ford series at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, but his aging car was uncompetitive.
2006: Crowned Australian Karting Champion
In 2006, Ricciardo was crowned the Australian karting champion.
2007: Selected by Red Bull Junior Team
After finishing sixth in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia, Ricciardo was selected to join the Red Bull Junior Team, marking a significant step in his career.
2008: Formula Three Debut at Nürburgring
During the mid-part of the 2008 season, 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 secured his first title by winning the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup with SG Formula.
October 2009: Signed by Tech 1 for 2010 Season
On 30 October 2009, Ricciardo was signed by Tech 1 to compete in the 2010 season of the series.
December 2009: Testing for Red Bull Racing
In December 2009, Ricciardo made his track debut in a Formula One car, testing for Red Bull Racing at the young drivers test at Circuito de Jerez, clocking the fastest time on the final day.
2009: Move to British Formula 3 Championship
For the 2009 season, Ricciardo moved to the British Formula 3 Championship, driving for Carlin Motorsport. He also competed in the Macau Grand Prix with the team.
November 2010: Confirmed Driver for Young Driver's Test
In November 2010, Ricciardo was confirmed as the single driver to represent Red Bull Racing at the end-of-season young driver's test at the Yas Marina Circuit.
2010: Potential role as test and reserve driver
In 2010, Christian Horner suggested that Ricciardo may replace his 2010 World Series teammate Hartley as the team's test and reserve driver.
2010: Mark Webber's Hungarian Grand Prix Victory
In 2010, Mark Webber won the Hungarian Grand Prix for Red Bull.
2010: Competition with Tech 1
In 2010, Ricciardo competed with Tech 1. He had competed with the team at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal in 2009.
2010: 2010 Season achievements
In 2010, Ricciardo experienced a successful season, securing pole positions, race wins, and championship contention in the series he competed in.
2010: McLaren's one-two finish at the Canadian Grand Prix
In 2010, Ricciardo witnessed McLaren's one-two finish at the Canadian Grand Prix.
June 2011: Contracted to Hispania Racing
On 30 June 2011, 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: Racing in the Indian Grand Prix
In October 2011, HRT F1 announced that Vitantonio Liuzzi made way for Karthikeyan, allowing Ricciardo to race in India, extending his learning curve.
December 2011: Confirmed Driver for Scuderia Toro Rosso
On 14 December 2011, it was confirmed that Ricciardo would drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2012 season, alongside Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne.
2011: Formula One Debut with HRT
At the 2011 British Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo made his Formula One debut with HRT, replacing Narain Karthikeyan as part of the Red Bull Junior Team.
2011: Toro Rosso Test and Reserve Driver
In 2011, Ricciardo was confirmed as Toro Rosso's test and reserve driver, participating in the first free practice session of each race weekend.
2011: Racing for ISR Racing
In 2011, prior to his Formula One call-up with HRT, Daniel Ricciardo raced for ISR Racing.
2012: Full-time Drive with Toro Rosso
In 2012, Daniel Ricciardo secured a full-time driving position with Toro Rosso, partnering with Jean-Éric Vergne for two seasons.
2012: McLaren's win at the Brazilian Grand Prix
In 2012, Ricciardo witnessed McLaren's victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
2013: Re-signed by Toro Rosso
In 2013, Toro Rosso re-signed Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne for the upcoming season, continuing their partnership.
October 2014: Partnership with Kvyat and Podium Finish
In October 2014, it was announced that Daniel Ricciardo would partner with Daniil Kvyat for the 2015 season. Also in October 2014, Ricciardo took his final podium of the year at the United States Grand Prix.
2014: Move to Infiniti Red Bull Racing
At the start of the 2014 Formula One season, Daniel Ricciardo replaced Mark Webber at Infiniti Red Bull Racing, partnering with Sebastian Vettel.
2014: Podium Finish at United States Grand Prix
In 2014, Daniel Ricciardo finished third at the United States Grand Prix. It was his first podium since the 2014 United States Grand Prix.
2014: First Points of the Season
In 2014, Ricciardo recorded his first points of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix, finishing fourth after starting in 13th position.
2014: First Career Win at the Canadian Grand Prix
In 2014, at the Canadian Grand Prix, Ricciardo achieved his first career win, marking a significant milestone. He became the fourth Australian to win a Grand Prix in Formula One.
February 2015: Top Gear Fastest Lap
In February 2015, Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap for a Formula One driver on the Top Gear test track, with a time of 1:42.2.
April 2015: Laureus World Sports Award
In April 2015, Daniel Ricciardo won the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year, recognizing his outstanding performances during the 2014 season.
2015: Winless Season with Red Bull
In 2015, Ricciardo experienced a winless campaign with Red Bull, though he continued to contribute to the team's efforts.
2015: Ricciardo supports West Coast Eagles
In 2015, Ricciardo supported the Australian Football League's West Coast Eagles and was the club's number-one ticket holder.
2016: Victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix
In 2016, Ricciardo returned to the top step by winning the Malaysian Grand Prix. He finished third in the driver standings that year.
2016: Ricciardo supports West Coast Eagles
In 2016, Ricciardo supported the Australian Football League's West Coast Eagles and was the club's number-one ticket holder.
2016: Ricciardo's personality
In 2016, The New York Times described Ricciardo as having a sunny disposition and being generally the nicest guy.
2017: Victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
In 2017, Ricciardo secured a victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, adding to his list of Formula One wins with Red Bull.
August 2018: Signing with Renault
On August 3, 2018, Daniel Ricciardo signed a contract to drive for Renault in 2019 and 2020.
2018: Podium at Eifel Grand Prix
In 2018, Daniel Ricciardo secured third place at the Eifel Grand Prix, marking his first podium since the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix.
2018: Wins at Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix
In 2018, Ricciardo achieved victories at both the Chinese and Monaco Grands Prix, further showcasing his driving skills.
2019: First Season with Renault
In 2019, Daniel Ricciardo's first season with Renault was marked by retirements and points finishes.
2020: Second season with Renault
In 2020, Daniel Ricciardo continued racing for Renault, with Esteban Ocon as his new teammate. He experienced a mix of retirements and points finishes throughout the season.
2020: Podiums and Fifth in Championship with Renault
In 2020, Ricciardo continued with Renault, achieving multiple podium finishes and securing fifth place in the championship standings.
2021: Move to McLaren and Italian Grand Prix Win
In 2021, Daniel Ricciardo joined McLaren, partnering with Lando Norris, and achieved a significant victory at the Italian Grand Prix.
2021: Ricciardo concludes the 2021 season
Ricciardo concludes the 2021 season.
August 2022: McLaren and Ricciardo terminate contract
In August 2022, McLaren and Ricciardo mutually agreed to terminate his contract early due to disappointing performances. He had finishes of 15th and 17th in the Belgian and Dutch Grand Prixs, respectively.
2022: Ricciardo leaves McLaren
At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Daniel Ricciardo left McLaren.
2022: Ricciardo's COVID-19 diagnosis and subsequent races
In 2022, Daniel Ricciardo missed pre-season testing due to a positive COVID-19 test on March 11, but returned for the Bahrain Grand Prix. He finished 14th in Bahrain, retired in Saudi Arabia due to engine failure, finished 6th in Australia and collided with Sainz in Imola, finishing last.
2022: Appointed Member of the Order of Australia
In 2022, Daniel Ricciardo was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours, recognizing his contributions to motorsports.
2022: Departure from McLaren
In 2022, amid struggles for form, Ricciardo departed from McLaren at the end of the season, marking the end of his stint with the team.
July 2023: Ricciardo returns to Formula One with AlphaTauri
In July 2023, Daniel Ricciardo replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri, making his return to Formula One at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He qualified and finished in thirteenth position.
2023: Ricciardo not on the grid for 2023 Formula One season
Following qualifying of the Japanese Grand Prix, Ricciardo announced he would not be on the grid for the 2023 Formula One season. He started eleventh for that race and finished in the same position.
2023: Ricciardo rejoins Red Bull Racing as a third driver
In 2023, Daniel Ricciardo rejoined Red Bull Racing as a third driver, assisting in PR, simulator work, and race team support. He also drove the Red Bull Racing RB19 in the Pirelli tests held on July 11 at Silverstone.
2023: Return to Red Bull as Reserve Driver and Move to AlphaTauri
In 2023, Ricciardo re-signed with Red Bull as a reserve driver. Later in the year, starting with the Hungarian Grand Prix, he replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.
2024: End of Formula One Career
In 2024, Daniel Ricciardo ended his Formula One Career. He had competed since 2011, winning eight Grands Prix.
2024: Driving for RB and Replacement by Liam Lawson
In 2024, Ricciardo continued with AlphaTauri as RB, but was later replaced by Liam Lawson after the Singapore Grand Prix.
2024: Ricciardo races for RB in 2024 season
In the 2024 season, Ricciardo raced for RB (formerly AlphaTauri). He finished 13th in Bahrain, 16th in Saudi Arabia, and 12th in Australia.
