“It Goes Over Their Head”: Daniel Ricciardo Belittles American Fans as Netflix Popularity Fails in F1 Education

The Formula 1 circus is just a week away from the inaugural Las Vegas GP. In just one week, Sin City will be laser-focused on 20 drivers who’re just as excited as everyone else to drive their cars around the Las Vegas Strip. In just a week, Daniel Ricciardo will get to live what he dreamed of when Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017. Speaking of Liberty Media, what’s been its biggest success in the F1 world? The Netflix show Drive To Survive, don’t you think? Back in 2017, it was Ricciardo’s dream to race in Vegas. Now, after Drive To Survive, it’s the fans’ dream to watch him race. Or is it?

As everyone’s heading to Vegas, different drivers are preparing for the weekend differently. While Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly are preparing to compete in The Netflix Cup (yes, Netflix again), a golf event, Ricciardo headed to Jimmy Kimmel Live. And what he had to say about Drive To Survive’s influence was quite striking.

Is Daniel Ricciardo an actor or an F1 driver?

Before Liberty Media took over F1, the sport wasn’t on the US map. Yes, some were fans of the sport, but when other motorsports like IndyCar and NASCAR were (and are) so popular, why would Americans be invested in a sport that had close to nothing to do with America? That’s precisely what Drive To Survive changed about F1. The extremely popular show showed people how engaging it could be—a perfect mix of drama, entertainment, and sport. Since the series came out in 2019, there’s one driver who has become extremely popular among American audiences. That’s Daniel Ricciardo.

In light of this, Jimmy Kimmel asked him if people recognize him more now because of the show. The Honey Badger replied, “Absolutely. Yeah, it’s funny because a lot of the time now, people come up to me and are like, ‘Oh, you were great in the show.’ So my reaction is, ‘Do they know I race or do they think I’m an actor or someone in a reality show?’”

Ricciardo loves to embrace the culture of every city he goes to (for example, when he dresses up as a cowboy for the US GP in Austin). On one hand, it makes sense that fans may assume he’s just an actor playing an F1 driver. On the other, Drive To Survive is a documentary. 

Either way, this is how Ricciardo responds to them: “I kind of look at them like, ‘Thanks.’ But I’m second-guessing, ‘Do they actually know what I do?’ It’s funny. It’s really blowing up. I try to remind them, but I think it goes over their head.” Don’t worry, Daniel. We know you’re a real F1 driver. The bottom line is that whether Ricciardo is an actor or an actual driver (which he is), people love watching the Aussie do what he does.

Read More: “One of the Greatest Compliments”: Daniel Ricciardo’s Life Comes Full Circle as U2 Star Bono Returns Karaoke Favor

Although Drive To Survive has made it seem like American fans love F1, Ricciardo was still fearful about how the Vegas population would feel about the sport and the race. Jimmy Kimmel set the record straight.

Will there be riots or rejoices for Ricciardo & F1 in Vegas?

Preparations for the highly-anticipated Las Vegas GP haven’t gone smoothly. Since F1 announced it would be visiting Sin City and construction to accommodate F1 started, things have been pretty disruptive. Worker strikes, licensing fees, closing down the Strip—the heart of the city—people haven’t taken too well to any of it. When Kimmell, a Nevada native, expressed how crazy (in a good way) it would be to close down the Strip to race around it, Ricciardo said, “You must hate us.”

Kimmel wiped away Ricciardo’s fears by saying, “No! Not at all! In fact, I will tell you that people in Las Vegas are really excited about this. You know, a lot of crazy things happen in Vegas, but this one they’re particularly excited about.” He also joked how Ricciardo should be careful not to run over “people with like Margaritas and Daquiries that are like four and a half feet tall. If you see a red light, stop is what I’m saying!”

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What do you see Daniel Ricciardo as more—an F1 driver or an actor?