It appears that Daniel Ricciardo’s one-year sabbatical from Formula 1 has some pretty interesting perks to it, after the 33-year-old attended the star-studded Met Gala on Monday night.
Ricciardo was in New York as a selected guest at this year’s Met, with it actually having been his first time at the event.
The Red Bull development driver’s appearance at the gala sent fans into ecstasy, with the Australian having turned up wearing a ruffled, three-piece Thom Browne suit.
He certainly looked the part at the celebrity-filled event, where he just so happened to meet an unexpected “huge fan”.
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Ricciardo just so happened to bump into Hollywood icon Anne Hathaway, who apparently loves the pinnacle of motorsport.
Social media quickly filled with clips of the pair meeting, with the actress having introduced herself to the driver.
“Daniel Ricciardo, it’s so nice to meet you,” Hathaway said, before Ricciardo replied; albeit, with his back to the camera.
“I’m a huge fan of F1,” Hathaway continued, before adding “have a great night”.
Fans loved the short interaction between the pair and are now wondering whether Ricciardo will invite the famous actress to a Grand Prix, given that she’s a supporter of the Aussie, supposedly.
This year’s Met was in honour of late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, who died in February 2019.
Ricciardo clearly had a blast and posted an image of himself at the gala onto social media, with the caption: “the MET”.
Unsurprisingly, former McLaren team-mate Lando Norris was quick to make fun of the eight-time race winner, after commenting “Met office?”.
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Norris’ comment was, of course, in reference to the UK weather service, something Ricciardo would likely be more than aware about given how much of his life has been spent in the UK.
With Ricciardo having been in New York for the Met, it would be incredibly likely to see the fan favourite at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, given how much he loved the atmosphere there last season.
His only appearance in the paddock so far this year was at his home Grand Prix in the beginning of April, where he was to absolutely no surprise, adored by his fans.