Daniel Ricciardo shows humility in defeat

The Melbourne Grand Prix won’t go down as a highlight of Daniel Ricciardo’s career, putting it on par with last year’s bungled Spain and Monaco Grands Prix. But the Aussie star’s signature smile remained intact.

It went from bad to worse for the Red Bull Racing driver. After a crash in Saturday’s qualifying race, which put him in 10th position on the grid, Ricciardo’s car needed a gearbox replacement that forced a five place grid penalty.

And if that wasn’t enough of a setback for Ricciardo’s hopes for a home track win, his new gearbox faulted before the race even started, forcing him to sit in pit lane for the first couple of laps. By this stage, there was no chance of Ricciardo gaining a podium finish, but he was then further robbed of even getting to cross the finish line when an engine failure forced the Aussie star to retire.

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His frustrations following the forced retirement were obvious, asking to “get the f*** out of here” following his engine conk, and yet, in true Ricciardo-spirit, the smiling assassin remained humbled and dignified in interviews following the event, expressing disappointment for his fans above his own.

At the launch of Quintis Sandalwood last week, which Ricciardo is ambassador for, the star told Adam Gilchrist his fans were his greatest source of energy. “When I get on the track and see all the crazy Aussies shouting my name, then that certainly gets me any energy I may have lost in the last few days,” he said.

When we met with the star following the launch, we quizzed him on how he battles the emotional rollercoaster of Formula One.

“Simple answer for both – alcohol,” he said.

“Winning; the high is so big that literally by the time I jump in the rental car, when all the media is done and I leave the track… on the way to the hotel or the airport, that’s when you come down.

“And the loss… I think being around friends helps you kind of forget about it for a bit, and also, for me, just perspective.

“… There are so many worse things happening out there, I don’t want to be a spoilt kid, I never want to be that person, so perspective is a big one.”

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Ricciardo may be just one of 14 Australian Formula One drivers to ever grace the sport, but it’s this attitude that gains him the respect of so many. So what’s his secret to keeping a level head despite the fame, wins and, devastating losses?

“I still see myself as me… I’ve definitely changed but not necessarily because of F1 or fame, it’s just life…

“I think I still feel like the same kid I was when I was young in terms of me in my own skin. My friends still treat me the same. If they started treating me different then I’d probably think otherwise.”