Ricciardo provides unlikely answer on F1 career query

Daniel Ricciardo has explained two career highlights he considers to be his proudest moments in F1.

The Australian is an eight-time grand prix winner, taking seven of those wins during his five-year stretch with Red Bull between 2014 and 2018.

Since moving to Renault in 2019, he has only been able to add one more victory - when he won for McLaren at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

However, despite the unlikely result, the RB driver does not consider it to be among his proudest achievements during his Formula 1 career, instead opting for two moments with Red Bull - both from 2014, when he partnered and beat four-time reigning champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

"Two come to mind," he told Formula1.com. "I think the first win is one, because it’s something you dream of. Until you do it you’re not fully, fully convinced that you can.

"But also Melbourne, my first year with Red Bull [in 2014], nearly getting pole, qualifying on the front row and getting second there."

'Okay, it got taken away...

That first victory came in that season's Canadian Grand Prix, when Ricciardo converted sixth on the grid into his debut win, despite starting behind the dominant Mercedes pair of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the two Williams' and team-mate Vettel.

His second answer, however, is more interesting and unexpected. It was both his home race and his first for Red Bull, but given he was disqualified from the grand prix for a fuel flow irregularity, his podium finish that day was not valid.

But, despite this, the 34-year-old still counts it as one of his career's defining moments.

"Okay, it got taken away [due to disqualification], but I think just kind of performing at home under the pressure, and pressure with a new team," he explained. "It was like a big weight off my shoulders, so I was quite proud of that weekend."

Whilst that result would have been Ricciardo's first podium in F1, he came close to returning to the rostrum for the first time since his McLaren win during the Miami Grand Prix sprint last weekend.

After qualifying his RB in fourth, he held on to the position despite pressure from Carlos Sainz. In holding off the Ferrari, he was able to score his first points of the season.