He’s won 21 open-wheeler motor races in Europe in the past two years, and two titles – the 2008 West European Formula Renault Championship and the 2009 British Formula Three Championship.

Ricciardo’s winning form in Formula Renault attracted Red Bull’s scouts. Ricciardo’s winning form in Formula Renault attracted Red Bull’s scouts.
Images: Red Bull

That means he’s much better performed than Mark Webber at the same age, but he’s had much better machinery in his formative years, courtesy of Red Bull’s sponsorship largesse. Not 21 until July 1, he’s already a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing’s Formula One team and its sister outfit, Scuderia Toro Rosso (the former Minardi). Webber has taken Ricciardo under his wing, and he’s poised to become Australia’s next F1 racer – either when Webber’s time is up, or perhaps sooner if Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari flops with Toro Rosso this season. The final stage of the up-and-coming charge’s “apprenticeship” involves countless hours at Red Bull Racing’s headquarters at Milton Keynes, England, driving its F1 simulator – a vital piece of equipment in the new era of very restricted F1 track testing. The one time Ricciardo was let loose in an F1 car, at Spain’s Jerez circuit late last year, he blitzed 20-odd other GP wannabes in three days of testing, lapping a staggering 1.3 seconds faster than the next best.

What’s his story?

Originally from Perth, Ricciardo would become WA’s first F1 racer. Like the vast majority of GP drivers, he started out in karts, ultimately winning a WA title. Instead of advancing to the Australian Formula Ford Championship, he commuted to Asia in 2006 for the new Formula BMW series, helped by a $50,000 scholarship he’d won at a three-day trial in Bahrain – for which his father, Joe, had paid $3000. In 2007, at just 17, he moved to Italy, basing himself at the Formula Medicine training centre in Viareggio where the likes of Brazilian Felipe Massa, Poland’s Robert Kubica and Australia’s Indy racer (and former F1 test driver) Ryan Briscoe spent time. It was in Formula Renault in Italy

that Red Bull’s talent scouts spotted him and placed him with France’s SG Formula and Britain’s Carlin Motorsport for his two titles. He now has four years of racing cars with aerodynamic wings and slick tyres under his belt – and a taste of the 850 horsepower of an F1 car. This year he’ll drive in Europe’s World Series by Renault as he cools his heels awaiting his F1 race debut.

Look of a champion Look of a champion
Images: Red Bull

Who’s he like?

He has the Latin looks of his idol, the late Brazilian triple world champion Ayrton Senna – and Senna’s nephew, Bruno, who has made his entry to F1 this year. As a toddler on his Dad’s shoulders he was mesmerised by Senna at Adelaide’s GP in the early 1990s. Now he has the satisfaction of seeing his name on the list of British F3 champs 26 years after the driver still widely regarded as F1’s greatest. His manners are much better than were those of the volatile Brazilian – at the 2006 Formula BMW world final in Spain he won an award for exceptional conduct on and off the track – but the Jerez test gave a hint that he may just be what every F1 team wants – the next Senna or Schumacher. So to the penultimate round of the British F3 series at Brands Hatch, where – in basically equal equipment – he ran away from the field at one second a lap, evoking memories of the great Scotsman Jim Clark.

– Geoffrey Harris

What do they say?“It’s clear that Daniel is in a very good position at this point of his career. He’s backing up the great support he has from Red Bull with some very good driving performances. We’ve seen exceptionally talented youngsters from the junior categories unable to translate their ability into F1 success, but Daniel made a big step forward in his first F1 test last December and cleared that challenge with no problem. He’s putting all the right foundations in place for a great future. He’s a very balanced young kid, which is important as it will help him deal with everything F1 can throw at you.”

– Mark Webber 

“I saw Daniel race in F3 last year and was really impressed by his speed and commitment. You just know you’re watching someone special – someone who has that bit more than others. I have no doubt Daniel can become a world champion. He’ll make a great replacement for Mark Webber as an Aussie in F1, and he could be the best yet to come out of Australia, so I look forward to seeing his progress.”

– David Brabham, 1989 British F3 champion, 1990s F1 driver, 2009 Le Mans winner, and son of Jack (winner of three F1 world titles)