The glorious era of the Honey Badger has witnessed, hopefully, its first and only interval. Daniel Ricciardo stormed onto the scene in Formula 1 with HRT. Since then, he’s gone on to mesmerize F1 fans and the paddock with that trademark smile and some insane moves on the track. That being said, his crowing moment, arguably, would be when he beat the then reigning F1 World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, in equal machinery at Red Bull in 2014. But to do this, he had to first reconcile with his inner demons.

Throughout the early stages of his career, he was seen as somewhat of a pushover. As he recalls it, it was down to his charming and happy-go-lucky demeanor. But as the Australian would reveal, this became his weapon of choice in his battle with Vettel.

In 2020, while talking to Will Buxton for the official F1 website, he said, “It was really 2014 when I felt everyone was still saying, ‘He’s got a fast car now but he’s still a soft touch’ and I could play to that and surprise them on track. That’s where these dummy overtakes, these lunges, I feel I really caught everyone by surprise and that was very powerful for me.”

“I know what I’m capable of. Even know I’m smiling, but I’m quietly killing with a smile. It’s good.”

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Even though Ricciardo got the better of Vettel during their brief stint together at Red Bull, it would appear that there’s no animosity between the former teammates.

Daniel Ricciardo showers, true friend, Sebastian Vettel with high praise

It really isn’t that common to see such comradery between Formula 1 drivers. They’re trained to be competitive. But as the Honey Badger would reveal, the 4x Champion, in his twilight years in the sport, has shown his human side much more. And Ricciardo is nothing but appreciative.

He told Speedcafe.com, “He’s picked up the phone multiple times this year and just been a friend and just showing care and just checking in as a true friend will do. To have friends like that is so important, but it’s also not that common in terms of on the grid.”

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It would be a true loss for the sport if neither Sebastian Vettel nor Daniel Ricciardo return to the Formula 1 grid in the future. But do you see either of them making a sensational return in the near future?