HIGH-TEST HONEY BADGER

An interview with Aussie McLaren F1 driver DANIEL RICCIARDO, who has eight grand prix victories to his name...

- NICOLAS STECHER

Monaco Grand Prix, 2014. We’re milling about on Red Bull Racing’s boat on the sparkling Mediterranean when a fresh-faced Daniel Ricciardo strolls in, beaming with an amicability that’s impossible to dislike. Needless to say at this point Sebastian Vettel is the big dog in the RBR paddock, having come fresh off four straight years claiming the F1 Drivers’ Championship and earning his team the Constructors Championship — and arguably staking claim to Best Driver on the Planet. But what impresses most on this glorious summer day is Ricciardo’s authenticity, and perhaps even shyness that makes you worry if he’s indeed ready for the brutal F1 gauntlet — famously the most ruthless, superlative, demanding category in all motorsport.

One wondered then would his humility and sincerity be his downfall in an asphalt Serengeti crawling with apex predators? Turns out that worry was unfounded as the Australian-born Ricciardo finished third overall that year in the Driver’s Championship, notching his first three Formula One wins in Canada, Hungary, and Spa, more than proving his mettle. Now, eight seasons later, Ricciardo has earned a reputation as one of the fastest drivers in all F1 — while somehow retaining that humility and quick wit that continue to make him a fan favourite and among the most well-liked drivers on the grid.

In that span Ricciardo’s captured plenty of glories, notching eight checkered flags and 32 podiums — while also suffering his fair share of bruises, such as last season finishing behind his younger McLaren Racing teammate Lando Norris. We spoke with ‘The Honey Badger’ as he begins prepping for the 2022 season to discuss his storied career, a somewhat disappointing 2021 and what he hopes to accomplish this season.