Danny Ricciardo

[pearcey]

GQ Australia, one of Australia`s top bloke magazines has named

Daniel Ricciardo as Sport Star Of The Year
A fine choice as this young man has shown the world he is not only a very talented race driver but very humble as well.
He has driven the wheels of his car, has taken responsibility for his mistakes, not laid blame on others, and has earnt the respect of all involved in this high pressure sport. Most of all he has earnt respect from the worst critics of all THE SPECTATORS.
I wish him all the best and success in the future.

[Avo]

here here,gotta love it when someone can show their worth,here's to hoping he becomes redbulls #1 driver next year.

[fracster]

I agree with you guys, he comes across as a down to earth bloke. Plus he is a damned good driver, I think he will get more and more success very soon.

[TPC]

Well deserved.
At the start of the year I never would have thought he would do as well as he has.
He is an aggressive but fair driver who has quickly earned the respect of the other drivers.
Good to see he always has a smile on his face too.

[DX grunt]

AND..........He's a West Aussie!!!!

[TPC]

AND..........He's a West Aussie!!!!
We are praising the guy, why do you have to bring up something negative?

[Bob]

Vettel has now left Red Bull so Daniel should become their No 1 Driver

[macca]

Good on him, looks like a great bloke with an attitude to match.

Peter Brock, Craig Lowndes and now Daniel Ricciardo always smiling even under pressure, great Aussies all of them.

And great to watch them race.

[threedogs]

Great role model and deserves all he gets, Vettel was a bit of a sook IMO

[krbrooking]

He is an awesome bloke and driver, had the pleasure of watching him race around Barbagello once in an Alfa with some sort of 8 in it. Towards the end of the race he had lost, from memory 3rd gear and maybe another one and some how he was still LAPPING the back runners nearly mad it through half the pack before the end of the race.

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[macca]

He is an awesome bloke and driver, had the pleasure of watching him race around Barbagello once in an Alfa with some sort of 8 in it. Towards the end of the race he had lost, from memory 3rd gear and maybe another one and some how he was still LAPPING the back runners nearly mad it through half the pack before the end of the race.

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We watched his dad race the Alfa at Oran Park, he was rather dominant winning most of the time.

It had a Chev V8 and was mid mounted? (back from the firewall as opposed to Ferrari's etc that are behind the drivers seat) with aluminium panels filling the interior of the car.

It was very well finished and always presented in perfect condition. Think his name is Joe.

[krbrooking]

We watched his dad race the Alfa at Oran Park, he was rather dominant winning most of the time. It had a Chev V8 and was mid mounted? (back from the firewall as opposed to Ferrari's etc that are behind the drivers seat) with aluminium panels filling the interior of the car. It was very well finished and always presented in perfect condition. Think his name is Joe.

Yes it was an amazingly set up car must have been the same car.

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[4bye4]

Hey Guys, your not getting mixed up with Tony Ricciardello are you. He drives a Chevy powered Alpha.
51804

[macca]

Yes I am that's it. The net says something about Daniels farther Joe having an Alfa with a Chev V8. Is this the same car?

Looking at the sponsor on the door there is different surname spelling, had it all wrong. It was the car in your picture I was thinking of.

Tried searching his fathers history and all I get is F1 and Daniel aaarrrggghhhhh

[4bye4]

Funny how close to fame you can get, I'm 63 now but used to have an interest in a HQ racer at Barbagello. Met Danny Ricciardo - but then he was just another kid hanging out at the race track. Damm.

[Avo]

We are praising the guy, why do you have to bring up something negative?

why are people so unkind......

[Pokey]

Ricciardo is already officially the number one Red Bull driver. He's a talent for sure.
..... I remember years ago a twin turbo V8 alfa or something Italian crashing at the end of a drag strip and the driver not surviving. Was he a Riciadello or similar?

[TPC]

why are people so unkind......
Because its fun Kamahl

[Robo]

Gotta love the bloke talent and down to earth.
At last a role model our kids can aspire too.

I must say Webber is also a top bloke.
comeon Aussie comeon

[mudski]

Vettel has now left Red Bull so Daniel should become their No 1 Driver

Lol He left because a rookie was showing him how its done! Sook!

[macca]

Redbull cars have been disqualified from qualifying, a wing cap? is too flexible. So they start from the rear tonight.

[threedogs]

yeah pretty strict on the regs williams lost points years agos
because the pop rivet heads made the car too wide go figure

[krbrooking]

Hey Guys, your not getting mixed up with Tony Ricciardello are you. He drives a Chevy powered Alpha. <img src="http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=51804"/>

You could be right it was quite a few years ago now??

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[Avo]

here's some info from 2009...the herald sun,,yes Daniels dad was tony

CALLING a kid Australia's next formula one driver is easy, but history - and motor sport's rocky path to the top - makes the tag hard to fulfil.
Daniel Ricciardo has the uncomplicated self assurance that marked Mark Webber, his hero, and Ryan Briscoe, another successful role model, in their early days.

He talks easily, with genuine warmth and apparent honesty, without that artificial sheen that some drivers assume after a gallop through PR finishing school.

"My main goal is formula one, not just to make it but to become world champion one day," he said, making it sound more like a statement of intent than a boast.

All that intelligence and off-track maturity is all very well but thousands of would-be stars have that stuff by the truckload. It's handy but of no real help when you're banging wheels and looking to outbrake and muscle past the leader at Albert Park.

Only 13 Australians have driven in a formula one race since the world championship began in 1950.

Since Webber made his debut seven years ago, none of his countrymen have joined him on an F1 grid. Before Webber, the last Aussie to race a F1 car was David Brabham in 1994.

It's early days yet for Ricciardo but he's already won an international championship and, more importantly, caught the eye of a drinks company that has the money and influence to take him all the way to the top in F1.

Ricciardo's career path is similar to many in motor sport. His dad, Tony, raced, meaning Daniel was around cars at Perth's Barbagallo Raceway from an early age.

He learnt in karts from the age of nine but at 17 made a choice between motor sport and a promising tennis career.

He took a huge leap of faith by heading to Europe in a make-or-break 2007 season in the Italian Formula Renault championship. His racing that year was funded largely by his parents.

Living alone at 17, he survived on restaurant meals. A scout from the Red Bull junior development race driver program noted Ricciardo's speed and dedication and snapped him up. Now he is one of eight young drivers benefitting from significant financial support and mentoring from the likes of David Coulthard.

Last year Ricciardo, with Red Bull support, dominated the Formula Renault West European Cup and narrowly missed taking out that category's Eurocup, too.

Australia's most recent world champ, Alan Jones, has trialled Ricciardo in his A1 Grand Prix team and thought he was a rare prospect.

Last weekend he won both races at the opening round of the British Formula Three Championship, driving with Carlin Motorsport, which has been a gateway to F1 for more drivers than any other F3 team and last year had the top-three drivers in the series.

The 19-year-old from Duncraig, WA, won the second race at the Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire by 2.625 seconds from Austrian Walter Grubmuller after earlier beating Briton Nick Tandy by 2.459s.

It appears Ricciardo is the beneficiary of a recession-proof deal at least for 2009, with Red Bull paying his seven-figure 2009 budget.

"We saw what this program can do - that it's realistic [to get to F1 and win]. The aim has got to be to try to mimic what [Red Bull Racing's Sebastien] Vettel has done," he said