From famous quotes to an iconic Secret Santa – The funniest Ricciardo moments that endeared him to F1 fans

Ever since his arrival on the F1 grid back in 2011, Daniel Ricciardo has become a firm favourite with fans for his exploits both on and off the track.
The Australian has served up countless memorable moments over the years, ranging from classic – and very unique – quotes and jokes in press conferences, through to embracing the culture in Austin and even sporting a tattoo of a fellow driver’s face on his arm (albeit a temporary one).
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Following the recent news that Ricciardo has exited the RB team – bringing his tenure in the sport to a close for the time being – it feels like an apt opportunity to reflect on some of the occasions where the 35-year-old particularly entertained us…
Ricciardo can always be relied upon when it comes to delivering iconic one-liners, even managing to come up with some quirky phrases whilst behind the wheel. Who could forget “pizza pizza pizza” after taking his best result of 2019 at Monza, or the particularly memorable “holy mac ‘n’ cheese balls” following a second podium of the season for Renault in 2020?
Alongside those soundbites, the radio also offered Ricciardo an opportunity to show just how much winning meant to him. An especially notable response – and one that seems particularly poignant now – came when he claimed his eighth and last (to date) F1 victory in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix during a tough spell with McLaren, the victor stating on the cooldown lap: “And for anyone who thought I left… I never left. Just moved aside for a while.”
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As well as sharing some famous comments in the car, Ricciardo was also known for his jokes outside of it, and the drivers’ press conferences were the scene of many amusing moments from the eight-time race winner. It’s little wonder, then, that he features heavily in our compilation of the funniest press conferences from years gone by below.
Check out Ricciardo’s attempt at an Irish accent – in a joke to a journalist that backfired – as well as a quip about who received invites to Sebastian Vettel’s 30th birthday party, plus his cheeky question to Lando Norris that left the Briton crying with laughter.
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It was during his podium celebrations at the 2016 German Grand Prix that Ricciardo first brought the shoey to F1. For those uninitiated, this is where champagne is poured into the shoe and then downed by the perhaps unfortunate recipient.
While Ricciardo was undeterred by the prospect of drinking from a post-race boot, those who he got involved in the process often seemed less keen. Fellow drivers, team bosses and even celebrity guests – including actors Gerard Butler and Sir Patrick Stewart – have all found themselves being cajoled into a shoey by the Australian.
Technically, Ricciardo has only one home race on the Formula 1 calendar – but the driver from Australia cites Austin as a second one, having developed a fondness for the venue over the years.
As such, Ricciardo has made a point of fully embracing the local culture during F1’s visits to the Circuit of the Americas. This has seen him wear special outfits, arrive into the paddock riding a horse – yes, really – and even conduct a whole interview with an American accent.
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When the season is over, we always have the F1 drivers’ Secret Santa to look forward to – and the 2021 edition proved to be especially entertaining thanks to Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso.
After picking Ricciardo’s name out of a hat, Alonso initially suggested that he wasn’t sure what sort of present he would give. He later iconically chose to gift the ink-loving Ricciardo some temporary tattoos – of the two-time world champion’s face. Cue much hilarity as Ricciardo gamely showed up in the paddock sporting Alonso’s grin on his arm.
Given that aforementioned love for dressing up in Texas – as well as being up for sporting some fun tattoos – it is no surprise that Ricciardo has also offered up some eye-catching helmet designs during his time in the sport.
A particularly amusing example came at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix, where Ricciardo paid homage to a famous design carried by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi by sporting his own face on his lid.
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Ricciardo has always been good value on Grill The Grid and this was no different in the latest edition of F1’s popular annual quiz. While some appeared slightly nervous about the tasks they would be faced with, the former Red Bull driver was always up for the test.
Ahead of the ‘Name Two Drivers’ challenge, Ricciardo’s response was: “I do like these, even though I’m not good”, before going on to have a great time shouting out the names of various drivers in response to each question – as well as impressively ending the round in joint first place.
For more of Ricciardo’s funniest moments – including his famous “Pierreee Gaslyyyyyy!!!” shout and some memorable dance moves – check out the video below…
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