Daniel Ricciardo has always been an ever-smiling persona on the F1 grid, spreading viral joy wherever he goes. The Australian driver brings a certain charisma with him that was much needed in the F1 world. Via an open letter in ‘The Players’ Tribune,’ the 34-year-old once revealed how incidents from his childhood shaped the ‘Honey Badger’ while also claiming Basketball legend Michael Jordan would love him.
Back when Ricciardo was still in school, he had a poster of Jordan in his room, which he would look at every day before heading to school. He would ask himself if he would be like Jordan that day and have that edge over everybody else. The AlphaTauri driver realized he did not have the edge and inculcated the same within him- all in one go.
During his karting days, an important race was coming up. So, the karters also had a practice session on Friday. Ricciardo’s father took a leave from work, packed up the car, and drove his son to practice, where two of Ricciardo’s rivals battled it out while Ricciardo hung back, too scared to get into the mix. A few weeks later, Ricciardo and his father decided he needed the help of a driving coach if he were to make it big.
At the first race after his session with the coach, Ricciardo saw one of his rivals standing nearby. His coach asked him to go and wish his rival the best of luck. A confused Ricciardo asked why, and his coach told him it would mess with his rival. A reluctant Ricciardo went over to wish him, and his rival seemed like he saw a ghost. The future F1 star won by a big margin. Per Ricciardo, “It wasn’t even close. Michael Jordan would’ve been proud.”
Jordan was the first hero Daniel Ricciardo ever had
Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan stands as perhaps the greatest player to ever play the sport of Basketball. Apart from a decorated career, Jordan enjoys global stardom, standing as a sporting icon with a personality that transcends his sport. His achievements throughout his career made Jordan an immensely inspirational figure, making him an idol for athletes even beyond Basketball.
Back when he was still a child, Ricciardo had posters and photos of Jordan, even before he had photos of racers. The sporting icon drew Ricciardo towards Basketball in an inexplicable way, and once he stopped playing, the sport was dead to Ricciardo. For the former Red Bull driver, His Airness was perhaps the first-ever real-life hero, and he drew limitless inspiration from him, further showcasing the transcending influence held by Jordan.
