Daniel Ricciardo: F1 Career, Teams, Wins, and Iconic Helmets

Daniel Ricciardo, also known as the “Honey Badger,” is a racing driver from Australia who competed in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2024.

Early Life and Entry into Formula 1

Before making his way into Formula 1 as a Red Bull product, the son of Italian/Australian parents, Ricciardo, competed in karting for the first time at 9 years old.

His first big racing series was the 2006 Formula BMW Asia, finishing third in the 19-race championship.

In 2008, he won the Formula Renault 2.0 WEC, winning eight of 15 races. He followed it up with a title in the 2009 British Formula 3 Championship and second place in the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5.

Formula 1 Career Progression

Daniel Ricciardo’s team history in Formula 1 started with HRT in 2011. Ricciardo made his F1 debut in the 2011 British Grand Prix.

HRT Debut in 2011

He competed in 11 races in 2011 with HRT, failing to score points but gaining experience.

Before his debut, he performed as a test driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Toro Rosso Tenure (2012–2013)

After his experiences as a test driver and his drives for HRT, Toro Rosso put Ricciardo in its driver lineup for 2012.

In his first race with Toro Rosso, the 2012 Australian GP, Ricciardo scored points in his home race with a ninth place. He then had some difficult races, but scored points five more times throughout 2012.

In 2013, Ricciardo scored points in seven races, with seventh in China and Italy as his best results.

Red Bull Racing Success (2014–2018)

After Mark Webber’s retirement, Daniel Ricciardo was selected as the second Red Bull driver alongside Sebastian Vettel.

Ricciardo quickly performed well, recording two top-four finishes in his first four races and following it up with consecutive podiums at Spain and Monaco. In his seventh race with Red Bull, Ricciardo won the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix, ending Mercedes’ dominant streak to start 2014.

Throughout the year, Ricciardo was ahead of the departing Vettel, and the Australian was the only non-Mercedes driver to win races in 2014. He also won the 2014 Hungarian and Belgian Grand Prix (consecutively) and finished third in the championship with 238 points and eight podiums.

Ricciardo then had Daniil Kvyat as his teammate in 2015 and the start of 2016, before Max Verstappen became his teammate from the 2016 Spanish GP on.

Although Verstappen won his first race with Red Bull, Ricciardo looked better in 2016 and 2017. He won the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix and, again, finished third in the championship behind the Mercedes drivers.

In 2017, Ricciardo won the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and was fifth in the World Drivers’ Championship, ahead of Verstappen, while both struggled with reliability.

As Verstappen started to take over the Red Bull team, Ricciardo left after the 2018 season, signing with Renault for 2019.

Before leaving Red Bull, the Australian won the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix from Pole Position.

Stints with Renault (2019–2020) and McLaren (2021–2022)

With Renault, Ricciardo finished ninth in 2019, with a fourth place in Monza as his best result. Then, the 2020 season was arguably his last great F1 season.

Again with Renault, Ricciardo recorded seven Top-5 finishes in a 17-race calendar and even recorded two podiums for Renault, at the Eifel and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix.

Ricciardo then joined McLaren, where he struggled alongside Lando Norris, but where he won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix for his eighth and final F1 victory.

He stayed with McLaren for 2022, but scored only 37 points and lost his seat to fellow Australian Oscar Piastri from 2023 on.

After 10 races out of F1, Ricciardo returned in the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri, formerly known as Toro Rosso.

In seven races in 2023, he recorded a seventh-place finish.

With the same team in 2024 (now named RB), Ricciardo scored points three times before losing his seat after the Singapore GP, his last F1 race to date.

Iconic Helmet Designs and Their Significance

Especially after leaving Red Bull, Ricciardo’s helmets became iconic as he left behind the Red Bull-themed designs.

With Renault, Ricciardo wore colorful helmets that often included big messages such as “Stop Being Them” in his 2019 helmet or “Become Unstuck” in his 2020 design.

More colorful helmets and messages were present during his McLaren stint, with the “All Good All Ways” message in his 2021 F1 helmet and “Present Momentum” in 2022.

Special Edition Helmets and Fan Engagement

Some of Ricciardo’s most iconic helmets included his Ace Ventura-themed design for the 2022 Miami Grand Prix or his tribute design for NBA legend Kobe Bryant in preseason testing for the 2020 campaign.

‘FEA’ Message and Its Meaning

In 2022, Australian F1 driver Ricciardo added F.E.A. in his helmet, which is reportedly defined as “Fuck ‘Em All.” The driver declared that the message was not directed at anyone, although he was being criticised for his McLaren struggles and ultimately lost his seat after reportedly being told that he’d stay.

Is Daniel Ricciardo Retiring or Still Racing?

Although he responded with “I’m done” to a fan asking him about the new Cadillac F1 team in December, Ricciardo has not announced his official retirement from Formula 1 or from motor racing.

The next steps of Daniel Ricciardo’s racing career have not been announced, but rumours about a possible comeback to F1 will remain as long as he doesn’t officially reveal his plans.

Either way, you can see our entire collection of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 helmets on our website and pick your favorite designs.