Are Badly Behaved Wild Parties Daniel Ricciardo’s Masterplan for Fairytale Comeback Like Ex-F1 Champ?

Things that stand out about Daniel Ricciardo: his Honey Badger-ness on track, his ability to have a good time off-track, his all-around positive aura, and his mega-watt smile. But when his mega-watt smile isn’t beaming, you know something’s wrong. He isn’t himself. That was the case almost throughout his time at McLaren. Since he returned to Red Bull as its reserve driver this season and then got promoted to AlphaTauri as its driver, that smile seems to have returned, and so has his ability to enjoy moments to the fullest.

For Ricciardo, having a good time is almost synonymous with being a party animal—also something he’s become known for in the paddock. On an episode of the Formula For Success Podcast, Eddie Jordan, while talking about the Monaco afterparty, mentioned how David Coulthard behaves rather badly, and “another person who behaves badly is Daniel Ricciardo. I don’t know what it is between you two. When you set up with each other, it seems to go from bad to worse.” Although few don’t appreciate his wild side, could it be that he’s applying ‘The Raikkonen Method’ to achieve his fairytale ending?

Is partying the answer to Daniel Ricciardo’s Red Bull prayers?

Kimi Raikkonen—the 2007 World Champion—may not have been a man of many words, but he sure was a man of many actions. Known as the Iceman for his ice-cool demeanor on and off the track, Raikkonen knew how to live life to the fullest, even while competing in one of the most demanding sports in the world. In an episode of F1’s Beyond The Grid, he revealed what the Raikkonen Method is. As quoted by F1.com, he said, “I’ve often been driving better [after] doing whatever I want between the races than if I’m just not having fun and drinks and stuff. There’s too many proven theories that [you drive] better [after you’ve had] a bit more fun.”

If there’s one driver who knows how to have fun, it’s Daniel Ricciardo. To put into perspective how much of a party animal he is, in a press conference before the Miami GP last season, he discussed one of his wild party antics, revealing, “I didn’t merely trash the room, I trashed the whole floor.” When he left McLaren, though, he was in a dark place. But in the eight months he spent on the sidelines, he seems to have found himself by having fun off-track. Apart from spending time with family, he said, “I went to a buddy’s bachelor party, which I don’t think I’ve ever done. So that was cool. It was in a little place called Vegas as well.”

Read More: Daniel Ricciardo Cornered for “Behaving Badly” at Iconic Venue With Red Bull Veteran Playing Along

When Ricciardo made his way to Red Bull—his home—he believed he still had it in him to perform at the top of his game. As much as he needed that time off, once he realized he wanted to return to an F1 car, he expressed how racing for Red Bull again would be his “fairytale ending.” Red Bull saw the reignited spark in him and offered him the AlphaTauri seat. With how he’s performed in the Hungarian and Belgian GP since his return, it looks like the Raikkonen Method has worked for him. After calling him out for his “bad behavior,” Eddie Jordan appreciated the Aussie for getting a step closer to his fairytale ending.

Daniel Ricciardo is doing a “great job” after having joined AlphaTauri

It’s unlikely that Ricciardo would’ve taken offense to Jordan calling him out for being a party animal. That’s something the Honey Badger takes pride in. Even so, Jordan apologized, saying, “Sorry, Daniel, I took your name out of context, and I shouldn’t, but you are a great party-goer, and we all love your smile. I’m glad to see you back in Formula 1.” Coulthard added, “Indeed, Daniel Ricciardo doing a great job on his comeback, and curious to know where his future will take him.”

Considering AlphaTauri is Red Bull’s sister team, there’s no doubt he’s a step closer to his Red Bull return. With Christian Horner recently stating, “I don’t see age as a barrier,” about Ricciardo’s possible return to the works team in 2025, the doors are wide open for Ricciardo to get his fairytale ending. The Raikkonen method has worked well for him in the past couple of races, and with his excursions during the summer break, he’ll be back with all guns blazing, ready to prove himself as a worthy teammate to Max Verstappen.

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Do you think Kimi Raikkonen’s methods have had any influence on Daniel Ricciardo?