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Ricciardo: F1 offered me the chance to be unique

Ricciardo: F1 offered me the chance to be unique

16-05-2019 19:30
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Bobby Vincent

Daniel Ricciardo is a very popular figure on the Formula 1 grid. His smile is infectious, and he seems like one of the more humorous personalities from an outside perspective. Ricciardo has just started a new chapter in his motorsport career, and he has been talking about where his love for driving first originated from...

The Australian has just started at Renault, after leaving his tenure at Red Bull. Ricciardo's start to life at the French-works team has been far from ideal, but reminiscing on his childhood; the smile we all know and love reappeared on his face.

"When I was growing up, I was always very active in terms of sports," Ricciardo explained. "I always chose to be outside instead of playing inside. Regarding racing: my father regularly raced when he was younger.

"So I often stayed on the circuit during weekends to watch his races. I think part of the passion comes from him. I was fascinated by the noise and the speed. Other children at school played soccer or rugby. Nobody started racing, so that gave me the chance to be different. I thought it was a good feeling."

When asked on the Renault website what he'd do if he wasn't an F1 driver, Ricciardo answered: "Probably play tennis. I did different sports when I was a kid and tennis was my second favourite sport. 

"I have always loved individual sports because of the greater responsibility that you have, so I would probably have chosen a career in tennis."

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