Daniel ‘Honey Badger’ Ricciardo could not be racing in the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, but that didn’t halt Crimson Bull from creating a exclusive down under-themed helmet for their reserve driver.
The team produced a video clip on Wednesday demonstrating the famously helmet-obsessed Ricciardo’s new lid, which attributes a honey badger donning an legendary Aussie cork hat, coffee-colored flames and an eye-catching visor with shades of fireplace.
The 33-yr-aged Aussie, who was ousted from his seat at McLaren right after a few of incredibly disappointing several years, was paid out $18million by the team not to generate there this year.
Now he is savoring existence in the slower lane as Crimson Bull’s reserve driver at the rear of reigning earth champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez – but just lately appeared in a video driving the team’s RB7 all over iconic Australian areas in his distinctive helmet.
It started with Ricciardo hooning by way of Australia’s famed outback, ahead of the slick car or truck was then pitted from Red Bull motocross bikes, a plane and a helicopter across the region.
Daniel Ricciardo’s new helmet forward of Sunday’s race ‘Aussie-fies’ his customary honey badger with an legendary cork hat
Ricciardo, pictured in a jumper he developed with the initials FEA (which stands for F**k ‘Em All), would not be racing in the Australian Grand Prix this Sunday, but has nevertheless managed to rating himself a spectacular new helmet
Quite a few F1 lovers are even now enormous Ricciardo disciples even even though he is not racing, and were quite content to see the ‘sick’ helmet.
‘I will by no means be about the Honey Badger in his small cork hat’, a person wrote with a collection of pet doggy eye emojis with another commenting ‘this is how you do helmets’.
‘SO Pretty I skipped his cute lil helmets’ said a big Ricciardo enthusiast, when another claimed the ‘helmet is completely beautiful’, regardless of not being a supporter of the Aussie.
Even so, a large amount of enthusiasts were not pretty so form, pondering why Ricciardo would be given a unique lid when he is just not even driving.
‘He bought a new helmet to put on sitting down in hospitality?’ one particular lover brutally wrote, with a different questioning ‘what’s the level in a new helmet if he is just earning TikToks?’
‘Show me a little something far more ineffective than Daniel Riccardo’s 2023 helmet’ said a 3rd supporter, with an additional suggesting the helmet was ‘gonna seem hearth collecting dust on the shelf’.
Ricciardo has always been a supporter of customising and coming up with his very own helmet.
Ricciardo sported a big photo of him smiling in last year’s Monza GP
The teamed up with McLaren and beer corporation Heineken to design and indication an eye-catching helmet to be auctioned off for charity after last year’s Australian Grand Prix
Ricciardo’s design for the his residence GP in 2019 showcased the phrase ‘stop staying them’ as nicely as a funky, present day structure
Past period he raced in a helmet featuring the initials FEA on the again of his helmet, which stands for ‘F**k ’em all’
He will typically aspect his honey badger symbol and plenty of brilliant and bold colours, which suits a person of the most animated and perfectly-humoured drivers in the paddock.
Last year’s grand prix in The us he had mountain lions on both aspect, although his style for the 2019 Australian GP experienced the phrase ‘stop remaining them’ on a bold geometric design, a way of him declaring he failed to want to conform to other’s expectations.
Just one driver who will be racing come Sunday – in a extremely unique Indigenous helmet – is honourary Aussie Valtteri Bottas.
The Alfa Romeo driver is in a very long-phrase connection with professional Aussie cyclists Tiffany Cromwell, who raced at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
He was even spotted Down Underneath sporting a mullet and wearing a VB singlet as the pair savored an extended vacation in involving F1 seasons.
Valtteri, who has finished eighth and 18th to open 2023, will have on a helmet built by Aboriginal artist Ricky Kildea, which will then be signed and auctioned to increase income for two Indigenous charities: Preserve the Small children and Koorie Academy Basketball.
Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas holidaying in Australia involving F1 seasons, and was pictured wearing a VB singlet as he liked a cold 1
Bottas is dating Aussie pro cycler Tiffany Cromwell, with the pair shelling out a considerable amount of money of time in her homeland after the season
Bottas will be donning this particular Indigenous helmet in the Australian Grand Prix, right before signing it and another an auctioning them off for two Aboriginal charities
The placing blue helmet was made by renowned Indigenous artist Ricky Kildea from Marngrook Designs
Bottas and Alfa Romeo unveiled the putting blue helmet ahead of Sunday’s race,
‘I have a keen fascination in structure – this shouldn’t be a shock – and I like to categorical myself by means of my distinctive helmets,’ he told Speedcafe.
‘Australian tradition and background are a thing I have taken a keen interest in modern several years, specifically via my lover, Tiffany (Cromwell), and we were fully commited to paying a exclusive tribute to the indigenous local community.
‘Hence, the collaboration with Ricky was born.
‘He’s a really proficient artist, and I appreciated the resourceful process driving the helmets. I reckon they are two of the greatest designs I have at any time brought on keep track of, and I am delighted to be auctioning a single of them off for a excellent cause.’