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via Getty

via Getty

Daniel Ricciardo will not be on the F1 grid when the new season kicks off in 2023. That being said, he’s been a stalwart and icon of our sport, driving for With Red Bull, Renault, and then McLaren.

On the eve of arguably his last ever Formula 1 Grand Prix, the creators of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series paid an emotional homage to the Honey Badger. Formula 1 took off as a sport and its commercial viability has skyrocketed since the series began. And Ricciardo has arguably had a crucial role to play in it all.

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Ricciardo has been the pillar to Drive to Survive’s success. The affable Australian, with all his quirks, entertainment, and quality racing, won the hearts of the viewers and made F1 a commercial success. However, in Box to Box Films’ tribute, they showed another side to the Honey Badger.

Fans react as Daniel Ricciardo paid emotional homage by Drive to Survive creators

Daniel Ricciardo isn’t a man who’d be in the bad books of anybody. He’s been an integral actor in the success of Drive to Survive and Formula 1 in general. In addition to this, as per the creators, he was an equally incredible person. Let’s take a look at just a few fan reactions to the touching tribute.

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McLaren showed Ricciardo the door after two dismal seasons with the Papaya team. As per rumors, the Australian is on the verge of signing a reserve driver role with Red Bull. That being said, his chances of returning to the grid in a permanent capacity seem to be very slim.

The Honey Badger has been a fan favorite ever since he joined the sport with HRT. At Red Bull, he gave 4x Champion Sebastian Vettel a run for his money and matched 2x Champion Max Verstappen. But his stint in the midfield with Renault and McLaren were somewhat disappointing. Still, it was heartwarming to see the fans react to this tribute.

A testament to how much Ricciardo influenced the DTS series was left by fans in the comments section of the Instagram post. One fan commented, “He is the reason so many fell in love with DTS & F1—we will miss you Daniel!”

While another said, “Main character energy”

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Daniel Ricciardo himself isn’t very hopeful about a return to F1 in a permanent driving capacity. But he still does have the hunger to compete at the very top. Can he ply his trade in a different racing series such as NASCAR? Or is a Formula 1 return genuinely on the cards for the Honey Badger?