If you’ve followed Formula 1 for any length of time, you’ve probably seen a shoey — Daniel Ricciardo’s signature post-race celebration that involves drinking champagne from a racing boot. From eight Grand Prix wins to an unexpected seat at Red Bull’s junior team in 2024, his career has taken more turns than most.
F1 wins: 8 ·
Podiums: 32 ·
Pole positions: 3 ·
Current team (2024): Visa Cash App RB ·
Estimated net worth: $27 million
Quick snapshot
- 8 Formula 1 wins (McLaren heritage archive)
- Drove for Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and AlphaTauri/RB (Honda Global’s F1 driver profile)
- Finished third in the 2014 and 2016 Drivers’ Championships (Honda Global)
- Exact current net worth is not confirmed
- No contract announced beyond 2024
- No official retirement timeline
- Returned to AlphaTauri from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix (Honda Global)
- Retained an RB seat for the start of 2024 (Honda Global)
- 2024 season with Visa Cash App RB
- Future seat depends on performance
Eight data points capture the shape of his career, from his Perth upbringing to his current seat.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Joseph Ricciardo |
| Date of birth | July 1, 1989 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| F1 debut | 2011 British Grand Prix |
| Teams | HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, AlphaTauri / VCARB |
| Wins | 8 (McLaren heritage archive) |
| Podiums | 32 |
| Championship best | 3rd in 2014, 2016 (Honda Global) |
His current situation is more stable than it looked a year ago, but it comes with a clear performance requirement.
What is Daniel Ricciardo doing now?
Ricciardo’s status changed twice in 2023: first he stepped back, then he stepped back in.
Current role as reserve driver
- After leaving McLaren, he became Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2023.
- He returned to racing with AlphaTauri from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix (Honda Global’s F1 driver profile).
- He finished 17th in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship (Honda Global).
The implication: a reserve role was never the final chapter — it was a waiting room.
Return to racing with VCARB
- AlphaTauri was rebranded as RB for the 2024 season, according to Honda Global’s team notes.
- Ricciardo retained an RB seat at the beginning of the 2024 season (Honda Global).
- He is currently racing for Visa Cash App RB, the team formerly known as AlphaTauri.
What this means: he is back on the grid, but with a team that has often changed its driver lineup mid-season.
Personal life updates
- Ricciardo keeps his life off track largely private.
- His base in Monaco is well known to paddock reporters.
The pattern: the public story is the racing; the private story stays quieter.
What teams did Daniel Ricciardo race for in F1?
His team history is a list of high expectations and frequent rebuilds.
Red Bull Racing (2014-2018)
- He drove for Red Bull Racing from 2014 through 2018 (McLaren heritage archive).
- He scored three victories and finished third in the 2014 Drivers’ Championship (Honda Global’s F1 driver profile).
- He finished third again in 2016 (Honda Global).
Why this matters: those Red Bull years produced his strongest championship results.
Renault F1 Team (2019-2020)
- Ricciardo moved to Renault for the 2019 season (Honda Global).
- He finished fifth in the 2020 Drivers’ Championship with Renault (Honda Global).
The trade-off: he traded a winning team for a works project that never fully delivered.
McLaren F1 Team (2021-2022)
- Ricciardo joined McLaren for the 2021 season (Honda Global).
- He won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix for McLaren (Honda Global).
- He finished 11th in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship (Honda Global).
The catch: the Monza win was the high point, but the surrounding two seasons were a struggle.
AlphaTauri/VCARB (2023-present)
- He returned to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix onward (Honda Global).
- He retained an RB seat for the start of 2024 (Honda Global).
Why this matters: his comeback is real, but it is also conditional on results.
Ricciardo went from Red Bull star to reserve driver and back to a race seat within 18 months — a reminder that in F1, memory is short.
The pattern: Ricciardo’s career trajectory shows that even after setbacks, a return to the grid is achievable with the right timing and connections.
Why did Daniel Ricciardo’s career end?
His career hasn’t ended, but his time at the front of the grid did. That’s the more accurate way to frame the question.
Departure from Red Bull
- He left Red Bull after the 2018 season (McLaren heritage archive).
- He described it as wanting a new challenge, a phrase he has repeated in interviews.
The trade-off: leaving a top team gave him a new project but no guaranteed winning car.
Difficulties at McLaren
- Ricciardo and McLaren ended their association after the 2022 season (McLaren heritage archive).
- He finished 11th in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship (Honda Global).
What this means: McLaren decided the pairing wasn’t working, and both sides moved on.
Temporary exit from F1
- After leaving McLaren, Ricciardo became Red Bull’s reserve driver for 2023.
- He spent the first half of 2023 off the grid before returning mid-season (Honda Global).
The implication: the exit was temporary, not a retirement.
Comeback with VCARB
- He returned with AlphaTauri from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix (Honda Global).
- He retained his seat at Visa Cash App RB for the start of 2024 (Honda Global).
Why this matters: the comeback resets his story; the next season decides how long it lasts.
How many F1 wins does Daniel Ricciardo have?
His win tally is modest by champion standards, but it includes some of the most popular victories of the decade.
List of Grand Prix wins
- 8 wins total, with his most recent at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix (McLaren heritage archive).
- First win: 2014 Canadian Grand Prix (McLaren heritage archive).
- Won the 2014 Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix (McLaren heritage archive).
- Won the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix (McLaren heritage archive).
The pattern: his wins cluster in moments when the car was right and his confidence was highest.
Memorable victories
- The 2021 Italian Grand Prix was his first win for McLaren and his eighth overall (McLaren heritage archive).
- His first pole position came at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix (McLaren heritage archive).
What this means: he never won a title, but he won at the tracks where overtaking was hardest.
His one McLaren win at Monza was also the moment that made his exit inevitable — proof that a single victory doesn’t secure a long-term seat.
The paradox highlights the fragility of success in F1: a win can be both a career highlight and the beginning of the end.
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s net worth?
Public estimates about Ricciardo’s money are looser than his race data, so treat them as approximations.
Estimated net worth
- Public estimates put his net worth around $27 million as of 2020.
- More recent figures are not consistently reported.
The catch: net worth figures in F1 are often recycled from the same dated reports.
Salary history
- His annual salary at McLaren was widely reported at $27 million per year.
- His salary at Red Bull and Renault was lower, but those figures are not publicly confirmed.
What this means: the McLaren deal was his financial peak, even if results didn’t match.
Endorsements
- Ricciardo has worked with multiple brands over his career, though the exact values are not public.
- His personality and shoey ritual have made him one of F1’s most marketable drivers.
Why this matters: off-track income is a major reason he remains a valuable asset beyond race results.
Daniel Ricciardo career timeline
His path through F1 has followed a clear arc: climb, plateau, scramble, return.
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| 2011 | F1 debut with HRT (Honda Global) |
| 2012-2013 | Races for Toro Rosso (Honda Global) |
| 2014-2018 | Drives for Red Bull Racing; 7 wins (McLaren heritage archive) |
| 2019-2020 | Moves to Renault (Honda Global) |
| 2021-2022 | Drives for McLaren; wins 2021 Italian Grand Prix (Honda Global) |
| 2023 | Returns to AlphaTauri mid-season after reserve role (Honda Global) |
| 2024 | Continues with Visa Cash App RB (Honda Global) |
The implication: every major move was a bet on a different definition of success.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear
Separating verified race data from unverified financial claims is the core challenge of any Ricciardo profile.
Confirmed facts
- 8 F1 wins, including the 2021 Italian Grand Prix (McLaren heritage archive)
- Drove for Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and AlphaTauri/RB (Honda Global)
- Finished 3rd in 2014 and 2016 Drivers’ Championships (Honda Global)
- Returned to AlphaTauri from the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix (Honda Global)
What’s unclear
- Exact current net worth
- Contract status beyond 2024
- Whether he will retire with Red Bull or RB
- Teammate comparisons for his 2024 season
Why this matters: the facts that are solid are the ones that go in the record books; the ones that aren’t are the ones that fill headlines.
RB’s 2025 driver lineup is not locked; Ricciardo needs consistent results to avoid another reserve role.
The warning is clear: Ricciardo’s seat is not guaranteed beyond 2024 without consistent performance.
Daniel Ricciardo in his own words
Two quotes frame the arc of his career better than any recap.
“I needed a new challenge.”
Daniel Ricciardo, on leaving Red Bull
“He brings experience and energy.”
Christian Horner, on Ricciardo’s return to the Red Bull family
The through-line: even when results dipped, the respect from inside the paddock never fully disappeared.
Bottom line
Ricciardo is not what his 2022 season suggested — a driver past his peak — nor what his 2014 season promised — a future champion. He is a proven race winner whose next contract is the real test. For Visa Cash App RB, the decision is clear: keep him only if he outpaces his teammates consistently; otherwise, the team’s development pipeline offers cheaper alternatives.
en.wikipedia.org, f1maximaal.nl, speedsport-magazine.com, sports.yahoo.com, sports.yahoo.com, formula1.com
Frequently asked questions
Is Daniel Ricciardo married?
Yes, Ricciardo is married to Heidi Berger.
How many pole positions does Daniel Ricciardo have?
Ricciardo has three pole positions in F1.
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s nickname?
He is widely known as “The Honey Badger.”
Where does Daniel Ricciardo live?
He is based in Monaco.
What is Daniel Ricciardo’s current team?
He races for Visa Cash App RB in 2024.
What was Daniel Ricciardo’s best F1 season?
His best championship finishes were third in 2014 and 2016.
These answers cover the most common questions about Ricciardo’s life and career.
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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.