Even though Daniel Ricciardo isn’t on the Formula 1 grid this season, his presence certainly remains amongst the paddock and the grandstands, as proven at last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
A young fan in the crowds was seen holding a sign in support of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, with it having read: “Nico Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulkenberg.”
The sign was in homage to a comment made by Ricciardo in Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’, when he raced for Renault alongside Hulkenberg in 2019.
When partnered by the German, Ricciardo often struggled to pronounce Hulkenberg’s name correctly, before he suddenly decided to shout it at the top of his lungs ahead of the team’s home race in France.
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It’s one of many comments made by the Red Bull development driver to have gone viral, with the likelihood being that he’ll make many more in the future.
Ricciardo’s future is actually a bit of a talking point currently, with the Aussie having expressed his intent on returning to the grid in 2024.
Whilst he’d like to return, the fan favourite isn’t keen on being in an uncompetitive seat.
He does believe though, that his time back at Red Bull has given him the opportunity to start “figuring it all out”, something which can only be good news for the eight-time race winner.
“Do I miss being out on the track? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t,” Ricciardo told the The Red Bull Bulletin.
“I watched the first couple of races on the couch and that was… interesting! Even so, I was comfortable with it.
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“But then I went to the grand prix in Melbourne, my home race, and everything was a bit more heightened – being around it, smelling it, hearing it. It certainly confirmed that I don’t feel done.
“Of course, I don’t have a crystal ball, and I can’t guarantee that I’ll be racing next year. Last year, a part of me thought, “Oh, maybe this is it,” but now I feel that’s not how it’s going to end.
“So it’s all good feelings at the moment. It feels like I’m figuring it all out – it’s all starting to make sense – and I’m really looking forward to what comes next.”