Daniel Ricciardo was most likely a cowboy in another life.
We’ve all heard this phrase when you are in rome, But Australian Formula 1 embraces a different variety of slang –When in Texas. He may be in town for the pinnacle of motorsport, but that doesn’t stop him from getting involved in the local culture. He visited local watering holes, wore a cowboy hat (and probably His new clothing line this weekend) and you think he’s ready for country music. Don’t be surprised to see an Aussie take part in the live music scene, or sing out loud with some country or folk music.
Austin has a unique feel, and residents don’t seem to change much of their routine when the F1 travel party is in town. Likewise, Ricardo dances to the beat of his own drum, usually with a Cheshire smile on his face. He may be a clown, finding ways to connect with those he encounters, but there is an authenticity behind that. And that’s something the Formula 1 community is likely to miss next season.
Ricciardo said at the Japanese Grand Prix he will likely be without a seat in Formula One next season, and set his sights on 2024 after he and McLaren mutually agreed to separate early in the season. In his two seasons with the team, he scored just one win – the only Formula 1 win for a McLaren driver since 2012. This campaign wasn’t easy, as he struggled to get comfortable with the new car and faced scrutiny when compared to teammate Lando Norris.
His future remains unclear, but his recent struggles have not stopped him from loving the sport or affected his determination to recover. Heading into the last four races, Ricciardo is coming off a more positive period in Asia with fifth in Singapore and P11 in a short sprint in Japan. This broke his four-way streak that finished the race in 15th or worse. Meanwhile, Austin is where Ricciardo has done well in recent seasons, finishing fifth in 2021 and sixth in 2019.
With F1 headed to the Lone Star State, Sports Illustrated He chatted with Ricciardo about his unique Texas vibe, the stories behind his tattoos and how he stays true to himself amid the pressures of Formula One.
Fuel for Thought is Sports Illustrated’s exclusive Q&A with the biggest names in Formula 1. The following questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Sports Illustrated: How are you?
Daniel Ricciardo: I’m good. I’m a bit tired. It’s that point of the year where you’re a bit of a grinding stage where you can see the finish line. I’m excited to get some rest over Christmas, but I’m fine. I am in good spirits. I was home a couple of weeks ago, and that was really cool, so I had a little bit of a reset for the family in terms of spending time with them. I would say I’m running at 8.5 out of 10 right now. So I’m very good.
SI: That’s pretty good for the length of the season and the amount of travel you all do, especially from Europe to Asia and then on to Austin.
Dr: Yes, I think that’s the reason. I’d go up to 10 out of 10 pretty quickly for Austin.
SI: What’s the vibe like in Austin? How would you describe it because from what I can tell, it’s very different from what it was in Miami?
Dr: Yes, it is. Anyone who has ever been to Austin, has been in Austin, it has its own character, its own way of being great. I feel like it doesn’t change around Formula 1. You obviously get a few F1 fans in town. But I feel like the city and what the locals do is pretty much what they will always do. The first time I went there, I remember going to a bar and there was live music. It was really a way to wear them. There were a variety of outfits, but they were uniquely gorgeous and absolutely gorgeous. I felt like everyone was really comfortable in their own skin. It was refreshing, refreshing to see. It’s hard to explain, but there was the feeling of happiness factor when I was there. I love food, I love music. People are wonderful. Sports are growing so much that we are being recognized in more and more places. A lot of people are like, dude, there’s a race tomorrow. Why are you in the bar listening to this band? It’s all part of the experience in Austin. I definitely do this week differently than the others. I’m not in bed at 9 PM every night. I am definitely having a good time.
SI: I know you’re a fan of country music. Are you going to have a specific playlist for the week or are you going to tune in to local stations?
Dr: I enjoy listening to local material when I’m there. I am very open to listening to new music. I would say the one thing that is unconditional when I go to Austin is that it is quite a popular country. This is what we play all week. Whether this is an already created playlist, a random playlist, or the radio is to be determined later. I love all genres – hip-hop, electronic or whatever. But Austin, it’s strictly a country [and] people.
SI: What are your three best songs at the moment?
Dr: Oooooh. Well, I would say his name is Take Me Home by Tanner Usri. That was new. I really love him. Then, what was I listening to that day? Do ‘by Zach Bryan. And in fact, one of the local boys, Rob Bird. He’s actually now a good friend of mine, and he just brought me a new one – ‘same damn thing’. Let’s go with those three now. I feel bad because there’s so much I love, But let’s go with those three.
SI: I know you have a lot of different tattoos. Which one is your favourite, and which one has the deepest or most preferred meaning?
Dr: favorites always difficult. It doesn’t make any sense, but I like the rose on my hands. This is also because I had no intention of ever having it in my hands. I don’t know if you have a tattoo, but you always get it either bigger or in a different area than you had planned. They manipulate it. I don’t know how it works. He put the stencil on my hand, and I said, “Mom will kick my ass.” Then I said, “Oh, whatever.” So I understood, and now, I don’t know it exists. It’s a big part of me so I really like it. The last thing I love – “From Love and Life”. It’s actually a file name [folk band] Caamp song and I love Caamp. I don’t know if I’ve been to the Caamp wagon yet, but it’s very good. It is truly a deep and lyrical song. I feel like last year when I was kind of a little bit homesick, I kind of had some feelings that I hadn’t really had for a while in terms of losing family and all that stuff, that song really spoke to me. And I feel that this sounds like poetry.
SI: There’s a lot of pressure that you’ll obviously face as Formula One drivers, and it’s not just about getting in the car and trying not to crash, but the social media aspect, the media and sometimes even yourselves. How can you a) stay true to yourself and b) is there a mantra you say to yourself to try to reorient and stay, Daniel Ricciardo, the person?
Dr: I definitely owe a lot of that to family and friends. I have friends from my childhood who know me just as well as myself, and I think if I were to change for the worse, they would tell me. I feel they are very quick to support me. And the family as well. I still respect my mom and dad as if I were an eight-year-old and also need their approval. I still have really close relationships that I value, and I think that keeps me naturally straight and tight, if you will. It probably doesn’t answer your question directly, but I feel like I’m past the ups and downs of the sport and going through all kinds of different emotions, what keeps me at peace with things is that everything happens for a reason. I have the kind of perspective that I might not see today, but maybe in a week or in a month it will all make sense. I think this fills me with a positive outlook, and keeps me half a glass full.
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