Jimmy Kimmel Gets Daniel Ricciardo’s Approval for F1 Debut After Passing Pre-race Test With Flying Colors

With F1 looking to truly set its foot on US soil, the upcoming Las Vegas GP is a monumental race in attracting the US audience. And considering that the race weekend is just one week away, who better than Daniel Ricciardo to promote the race? In a recent guest appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, Kimmel gets Ricciardo’s approval for an F1 debut after passing a pre-test with ease.

The King of PR, often known as the ‘Honey Badger’, Daniel Ricciardo seems to already enjoy his return to the US. With F1 now set to return to Las Vegas after a long hiatus, Ricciardo has taken it upon himself to lure the audience with his humor and charm.

Jimmy Kimmel gets Daniel Ricciardo’s approval

In the recent video of the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, Ricciardo and Kimmel sat down to talk about F1 slowly becoming mainstream in the US. With Netflix’s Drive To Survive (DTS) playing a major role, the Alpha Tauri driver has enjoyed an increase in fandom. So much so that even Irish singer, Bono compared various members of bands to drivers like Ricciardo and more.

A famous TV host and comedian, it seems like Jimmy Kimmel is excited about F1, especially with the Vegas GP approaching soon. So much so that Kimmel was quite curious to know what distinct physical attributes truly make an F1 driver. Daniel Ricciardo responded to his question, by stating, “Probably reflexes. That’s definitely one of them. I would say our neck, our neck strength and reflexes like reaction and all that sort of stuff.”

In a humorous manner, while Jimmy Kimmel admitted to having a decent-sized neck, he was quick to highlight a certain exercise that F1 drivers often do to train their reflexes. He then showcased a video of Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, doing it before his race.

The exercise in question can be called the hand-eye coordination drill. This is a very famous drill that helps to improve the coordination between the driver’s hands and eyes. Moreover, drivers often practice this exercise, improving their reactions and helping them nail the start of the race. And in a sport like F1, having a good reaction time off the line at a race can be very beneficial.

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In typical US TV show fashion, Kimmel was ready with a jar full of tennis balls, to impress Ricciardo with his reaction timings. And that he truly did, that too with flying colours. Especially considering that Kimmel is 55 years old and has most likely not done any reaction drills previously.

Can Ricciardo claim the unclaimed throne of the Las Vegas Grand Prix?

It’s no secret that Daniel Ricciardo is the man of the people. Not only is he adored by the fandom, but he also embraces that with his smile and funny humour. But what he’s also known for is his love for the US. The land of freedom not only excites him, but brings out the best version of himself. However, after struggling to have a good finish at the United States Grand Prix, can he make up for it by claiming the throne at the new Las Vegas GP circuit?

With the new track presenting a set of issues, Ricciardo will not have it easy. Moreover, with the temperature around the GP weekend expected to be around 4 degrees Celsius, getting, heat into the tires will be a daunting task! Don’t be surprised if you see yet another formation lap crash at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. In order to have any chance at getting near the podium, Ricciardo needs to have a good start off the line. Perhaps time to practice more hand-eye drills with Jimmy Kimmel!

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After passing a pre-racing test with flying colours, Jimmy Kimmel gets Daniel Ricciardo’s approval for his F1 debut. With a challenging race expected at the Las Vegas GP weekend, it’ll be interesting to see if Ricciardo can possibly stop the dominance of Max Verstappen.