![]() |
Daniel RicciardoAustralian racing driver
Date of Birth: 01.07.1989
Country: ![]() |
Content:
- Early Career
- Formula Ford and Formula BMW
- Formula Renault
- Formula 3 Debut
- British Formula 3 Championship
- Macau Grand Prix and Beyond
Early Career
Daniel Ricciardo, an Australian racing driver, emerged as the reigning champion of the British Formula 3. His racing journey began at the age of nine with karting, where he participated in various competitions.
Formula Ford and Formula BMW
In 2005, Ricciardo joined the Australian Formula Ford Championship but failed to earn points in any of his three races. The following year, he received a scholarship to race in the Asian Formula BMW Championship with Eurasia Motorsport. In this 19-race championship, he triumphed in two races at Bira Circuit and claimed pole position at Zhuhai International Circuit. He finished third overall with 231 points, just 59 points behind champion Earl Bamber. Later that year, he tested for Motaworld Racing in the British Formula BMW Championship's eighth round. Despite retiring in the first race, he climbed to eighth in the second race, earning three points. He concluded the year with a fifth-place finish in the Formula BMW World Final.
Formula Renault
In 2007, Ricciardo transitioned to Formula Renault with RP Motorsport, competing in both the European and Italian championships. He focused primarily on the Italian series, finishing seventh with 196 points and a podium at Valencia, but failed to score in the European series. He remained in Formula Renault for a second year in 2008, participating in the Eurocup and Western European Cup. He claimed his first title in the Western European Cup and finished second in the Eurocup behind Valtteri Bottas.
Formula 3 Debut
During the latter half of 2008, Ricciardo made his Formula 3 debut at the Nürburgring, competing for SG Formula in the Formula 3 Euro Series. Despite his inexperience, he qualified eighth and eventually finished sixth.
British Formula 3 Championship
In 2009, Ricciardo joined Carlin Motorsport for the British Formula 3 Championship. He also made his debut in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, partnering with Charles Pic at Tech 1 Racing for the Algarve round. After a retirement in race one and a fifteenth-place finish in race two, he returned to Formula 3 with a strengthened championship lead. A victory and a third-place finish extended his lead to an unassailable 64 points over Renger van der Zande. Ricciardo became the first Australian to win the championship since David Brabham in 1989.
Macau Grand Prix and Beyond
Ricciardo continued with Carlin for the Macau Grand Prix. He quickly found pace on the circuit, qualifying second fastest (and fastest rookie) behind Marcus Ericsson, but slipped to fifth in the second qualifying session, which determined his starting position for the qualifying race. After finishing sixth in the qualifying race, Ricciardo retired on the first lap after colliding with a barrier at San Francisco Bend. He continued with a punctured tire up the hill before crashing again at the Solitude Esses, blocking the circuit and causing a pile-up involving seven other drivers.
On October 30, 2009, Ricciardo signed with Tech 1 Racing to race in the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He had driven for the team at the Algarve round in 2009 and partnered with Brandon Hartley throughout the season. Ricciardo made his Formula 1 debut with Red Bull Racing at the Young Drivers' Test in Jerez, setting the fastest time on the final day. Team principal Christian Horner suggested that Ricciardo would join Hartley as a test and reserve driver, sharing duties with both Red Bull and its sister team Scuderia Toro Rosso.