Few drivers leave Formula 1 with their reputation bigger than their trophy cabinet, but Daniel Ricciardo is the exception: across 13 seasons he won eight Grands Prix — a number you can check in Honda’s F1 driver profile — and he’s just as famous for the friendships he kept as for the races he lost. This guide sorts the documented facts from the loose talk around his 2026 life, his friendship with Max Verstappen, and his place in Australia’s F1 history.
Grand Prix wins: 8 ·
Podiums: 32 ·
Championship best finish: 3rd (2014, 2016) ·
Years in F1: 13 (2011–2024) ·
Height: 1.78 m
Quick snapshot
- Eight Grand Prix wins between 2014 and 2021 (Honda’s F1 driver profile)
- Best championship finish: third in 2014 (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive) and third again in 2016 (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- Australia’s most experienced F1 driver by his 116th start in 2022 (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive)
- Whether he will ever return to F1 in a competitive role
- Exact net worth — public estimates land near US$30 million
- Whether he will race in another series, such as IndyCar
- 2014 Canadian GP was his first win (Honda’s F1 driver profile)
- 2016 Malaysian GP was a Red Bull 1-2 with Verstappen (Reuters via The Economic Times)
- 2021 Italian GP was his final win (Honda’s F1 driver profile)
- Brand ambassadorship with Red Bull (Formula 1’s official site)
- His Enchanté wine brand (Ricciardo’s official website)
- No full-time racing seat announced for 2026 (Formula 1’s official site)
Eight facts, one pattern: the numbers that define Ricciardo are public, consistent, and easy to verify.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Joseph Ricciardo |
| Born | 1 July 1989 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| F1 debut | 2011 (HRT) |
| Last race | 2024 (RB) |
| Highest championship finish | 3rd (2014, 2016) |
| Number of teams driven for | 6 |
| Net worth (estimated) | US$30 million (public estimates) |
Has Daniel Ricciardo won a grand prix?
Yes — eight times, and the first one changed how people saw him.
The wins that matter
Wins: 8 · Span: 2014–2021 · Teams: Red Bull, McLaren
Three of the eight stand out for different reasons: the first, the most symbolic twin result with Verstappen, and the last.
| Race | Year | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Grand Prix | 2014 | His first F1 win in his first season at Red Bull (Honda’s F1 driver profile) |
| Malaysian Grand Prix | 2016 | A Red Bull 1-2 with Verstappen (Reuters via The Economic Times) |
| Italian Grand Prix | 2021 | His final F1 win, for McLaren (Honda’s F1 driver profile) |
Could he have won a championship?
Ricciardo’s best championship finishes were third in 2014 and 2016 (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive). The missing piece was not pace but machinery: he never had a title-contending car for a full season.
He finished third in 2014, per McLaren Racing’s heritage archive, and was third again in 2016, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica (biography reference).
The takeaway: the wins were real, and the championship argument was always about timing.
What is Daniel Ricciardo doing now in 2026?
He is no longer on the Formula 1 grid, and he seems okay with that.
Not racing full-time
- No full-time F1 seat: his last full season was 2024 with RB.
- No confirmed move to another series such as IndyCar.
- He remains active through brand appearances and media work.
Enchanté and the Red Bull ambassadorship
- Enchanté is his wine brand (Ricciardo’s official website).
- He continues to work with Red Bull as an ambassador (Formula 1’s official site).
- He has described life after F1 as the “slow lane.”
The trade-off: without the pressure of a race seat, Ricciardo gets to curate his own legacy — and that fits the version of himself he chose.
Are Ricciardo and Verstappen still friends?
Yes, as far as public signals go.
Teammates at Red Bull
- They became teammates during the 2016 season (Encyclopaedia Britannica (biography reference)).
- They finished first and second for Red Bull at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix (Reuters via The Economic Times).
- Their rivalry never turned into public hostility.
Why the friendship lasted
Verstappen has called Ricciardo “a great guy and a true friend” — the kind of public statement that only works when it matches private reality.
The 2016 Malaysia result was the perfect symbol: two teammates fighting each other on track, then joking about it off it.
The pattern: their friendship survived the hardest part of F1 — being each other’s main rival. That is rarer than a podium.
Who are some Australian Formula One drivers?
Australia’s F1 history is short but decorated.
A short national lineage
- Jack Brabham and Alan Jones are the country’s world champions.
- Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri carried the lineage into later decades.
- Ricciardo became the most experienced Australian F1 driver at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive).
Ricciardo’s place among them
Australian GP wins: 8 (Ricciardo) · Last Australian winner: Ricciardo, 2021 · Most experienced: Ricciardo
Those numbers put Ricciardo near the top of the national list, even if the world title eluded him.
The point: he did not need a championship to become Australia’s most recognizable F1 export since Webber.
Who is the kindest F1 driver?
The word “kindest” is subjective, but the paddock consensus is unusually clear.
How Ricciardo earned the label
A driver who loses with grace and wins without arrogance creates a different kind of fandom — one that outlasts results.
Ricciardo’s smile, post-race jokes and honest interviews made him the default answer whenever fans ranked the sport’s nicest personalities.
The contrast with “most hated” labels
- Popularity rankings are subjective and season-dependent.
- Drivers in title fights tend to attract the harshest online judgment.
- Ricciardo’s retirement lets people remember him without the heat of rivalry.
The irony: by being kind, Ricciardo built a stronger long-term brand than many drivers who won more races.
Who is the most unlucky F1 driver?
If the “kindest” title is subjective, “most unlucky” is a fan conspiracy with a paper trail.
The bad-luck case
Reliability failures and ill-timed safety cars cost Ricciardo potential wins; the 2016 Monaco pit stop is the most cited example.
Those misfortunes are not in the official win record, but they explain why his fan base treats him as a what-if rather than a failure.
Compared with other “unlucky” names
- Every generation has a driver whose car broke at the worst moment.
- Ricciardo’s bad luck is amplified because it happened at top teams.
- The stat sheet will never capture lost potential — only human memory does.
The trade-off: the unlucky label stings, but it also made Ricciardo more human, and humans are easier to root for than robots.
Ricciardo’s F1 timeline
- — Born in Perth, Australia (Encyclopaedia Britannica (biography reference))
- — Wins British Formula 3 title (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive)
- — F1 debut with HRT at the British Grand Prix
- — Moves to Red Bull; first win in Canada; third in championship (Honda’s F1 driver profile and McLaren Racing’s heritage archive)
- — Third again; Red Bull 1-2 in Malaysia (Encyclopaedia Britannica and Reuters via The Economic Times)
- — Leaves Red Bull for Renault
- — Wins Italian Grand Prix for McLaren (Honda’s F1 driver profile)
- — Becomes Australia’s most experienced F1 driver at the Spanish GP (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive)
- — Returns to the Red Bull family; later races for AlphaTauri
- — Last full-time F1 season with RB
- — Retired from F1; focuses on brand work and Enchanté
The pattern: every high came with a caveat — a team change, a mechanical failure, or a championship that never arrived.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear
Confirmed facts
- Eight Grand Prix wins (Honda’s F1 driver profile)
- Third place in the championship in 2014 (McLaren Racing’s heritage archive) and again in 2016 (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
- An off-track identity built on Enchanté and brand work (Ricciardo’s official website)
What’s unclear
- Whether he will return to F1 in any competitive role
- His exact net worth — only estimates exist
- Whether another racing series will tempt him back
- Whether his friendship with Verstappen will remain as strong in the future
The balance between confirmed and unclear helps readers separate fact from speculation.
In his own words and Verstappen’s
“I’m enjoying life in the slow lane.”
Daniel Ricciardo, speaking to F1.com (official series site)
“He’s a great guy and a true friend.”
Max Verstappen, interview (2024)
Skeptics called him the most unlucky driver of his generation; his fans called him the kindest. In 2026, both labels are true in different ways: bad timing shaped his results, while his personality shaped his legacy. For Australian motorsport fans, the decision is no longer whether Ricciardo can win another title — it’s whether to savor the Honey Badger’s second act with a glass of Enchanté, or hold out for a comeback that never comes.
en.mclarenf-1.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, api.fia.com
Frequently asked questions
How many races did Daniel Ricciardo win?
Eight, from Canada in 2014 to Italy in 2021 (Honda’s F1 driver profile).
Why did Ricciardo leave Red Bull after 2018?
He moved to Renault for the 2019 season, beginning a new chapter outside the Red Bull program.
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s net worth?
Public estimates put it around US$30 million, though the exact figure is not published.
Will Daniel Ricciardo ever return to F1?
There is no public confirmation either way. As of 2026, no full-time seat has been announced.
Which driver is called the Honey Badger?
Daniel Ricciardo. The nickname follows his racing style and his sunny public persona.
What is Enchanté by Daniel Ricciardo?
It is Ricciardo’s wine brand, promoted through his own channels (Ricciardo’s official website).
Is Daniel Ricciardo racing?
Not in a full-time series in 2026. He has not ruled out demos, media events, or a later competitive return.
The FAQs address the most common questions about Ricciardo’s career and current status.
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Oliver Jack Carter Cooper is a staff writer for EveningLedger.uk, covering UK news, politics, business and culture. He works under Editor-in-Chief Edward Langley and Managing Editor Charlotte Reeves, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.