2015 was an odd year for F1. While some fans were delighted to watch Lewis Hamilton dominate, some cited it as the worst period. Yet everyone was unanimously excited for the new talent – Daniel Ricciardo. After a breakthrough debut season in 2014, Ricciardo was one of the prime contenders to take on Hamilton in a fight. Besides the dominant Mercedes drivers, Ricciardo was the only one to win races that year. As its popularity grew, the Honey Badger made several media appearances. But the most iconic one was at the start of 2015 before the season got underway.
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Ricciardo appeared on the famous talk show Top Gear. He spoke about several things with the host, Jeremy Clarkson. Although when Clarkson asked the audience to throw some questions at Daniel, the iconic moment took place.
It was probably a Lewis Hamilton fan who asked the Australian driver, “What does the back of Lewis’s car look like?” The fan was surely trying to sledge Ricciardo, but the Aussie was having none of it.
Danny Ric immediately showed him “the finger” to express his displeasure while chuckling sarcastically.
Daniel said, “You see that? [showing the “finger’]” It was classic Ricciardo, smiling all the way and replying aptly to all such questions. Moreover, the fan probably had it coming as he tried to sledge the Australian.
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Ricciardo was probably getting to the peak of his powers in 2015, after getting 3 wins in the previous year. It was a season when his 4-time champion teammate Vettel stayed winless and Mercedes dominated most of the races by a country mile.
The Alternate Career Path of Daniel Ricciardo in F1
Daniel Ricciardo may have peaked at the wrong time at Red Bull. As the team had dropped the ball to Mercedes in 2014, performance-wise. Mainly, it was their engine partner Renault that did not make the mark in the turbo-hybrid era.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 12: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Renault Sport F1 look on during a press conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 12, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
But when Daniel was looking to leave the Milton Keynes outfit, could he have chosen a different path? Of course, the first alternate option that comes to mind is his staying at RBR. Although he had decided to leave the Austrian team, it is best to think about other options of what could have been.
A major speculation was the Honey Badger going to Mercedes. The Silver squad denied looking at Daniel’s CV as they were probably content with the job Valtteri Bottas was doing. In an interview with Natalie Pinkham, Ricciardo termed how Mercedes might have been conservative to retain their winning lineup.
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Another option that might have been ideal for Daniel was Ferrari. But the Reds instead promoted Charles Leclerc from the younger drivers. Ricciardo knew how Mercedes and Ferrari were the two teams to beat in the coming future.
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Watch This Story: Daniel Ricciardo’s best moments in F1
Yet, he had to settle for a midfield drive. As things stand, he is out on the sidelines with no future guaranteed. What do you think? Could Ricciardo have got a shot with either Mercedes or Ferrari? And what can be his next move in the sport?
