“I’m trippin’ major nutsack right now,” Remembering the beast Daniel Ricciardo was at the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo got pole position at the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo has had a rough couple of years in Formula 1. The Aussie has shifted between three different teams since 2018. With only 1 Grand Prix win to his name since he left Red Bull, at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix for McLaren. Ricciardo’s career has taken a disappointing trajectory, with the 33-year-old agreeing to vacate his McLaren F1 seat and sitting on the sidelines for 2023 after two disastrous seasons where “Danny Ric” struggled to match his teammate Lando Norris.

The Aussie’s recent performances may have tarnished his image in the eyes of the newer fans of the sport, and certainly in Formula 1, if you don’t match the expectations, you will be knocked out but in no way does this mean that the Honey Badger is a mediocre racing driver. Over his time at Toro Rosso and Red Bull, he has displayed his talent on a number of occasions, later being known as the master of late braking.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=A_4eFhWogIU

Daniel Ricciardo will be leaving McLaren at the end of the 2022 F1 season

Hence, let’s take a look back at the peak of Danny Ric’s career. When the 33-year-old was performing his best for the Red Bull team. In 2018 despite a reliability-stricken season, the Aussie managed to bag 2 wins, one in China and the other in Monaco. It was his last season at Red Bull after his decision to move to Renault for the following season due to the alleged shift in the team’s allegiance towards his teammate Max Verstappen. Though Daniel did perform optimally at Renault, we never saw the beast we saw at Red Bull again, so here we remember one of his finest qualifying sessions, the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix.

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Daniel Ricciardo gives Red Bull their first Front Row Lockout since USA 2013

The Aussie outqualified his teammate Verstappen to Pole while Lewis Hamilton rounded up the Top 3

In the first two stages of qualifying, Danny seemed to be on the back foot as his Dutch teammate put on faster laps on the timesheets. But in the top 10 shootout, right when it mattered the Honey Badger put in the fastest lap of the session. Demonstrating his experience as he edged out Verstappen by 0.026seconds. While the two Red Bulls finished 1st and 2nd, giving the team their first 1-2 in qualifying since the United States Grand Prix in 2013.

At the end of the session, Daniel was ecstatic, and in the post-qualifying interview, the 33-year-old said, “I’m trippin’ major nutsack right now” expressing his relief after an intense and close fight for the pole position with his teammate, While proving his team and the critics that he is one of the best drivers on the grid. The Aussie was set to get his 8th Grand Prix win in F1 the next day.

“The car is cursed” – Daniel Ricciardo after his 8th DNF of the season

Ricciardo was forced to retire due to a mechanical failure in the race

On Sunday, the racing gods had a different plan, after a poor start, Danny Ric fell down the order before being forced to retire the car 10 laps before the end of the race. His teammate went on to win the Mexican Grand Prix. Post-race a frustrated Honey Badger cried, “The car is cursed” referring to his 8th DNF of the year, with Daniel even saying that he “didn’t see the point” for the last two races of the season and with his team.

When we look at this race with Ricciardo’s current position in mind, it feels awful that most of the F1 paddock has forgotten about the Aussie’s masterclass, the driver who went on to beat a four-time world champion as his teammate in 2014. There’s no doubt about Daniel Ricciardo being one of the best in Formula 1, yet this sport is a cruel place, it does not wait for one to get back in form, it simply replaces them.