Daniel Ricciardo storm erupts over ‘offensive’ comment
Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has sparked anger over a controversial act during an interview in America.
Daniel Ricciardo has triggered a storm over an “offensive” comment made during an interview in America.
The Aussie was the star guest on the latest episode of the famously wild Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley web series where he was asked a series of controversial questions.
The Barstool Sport comedy series is famous for asking prickly questions to guests — and Ricciardo appeared to do his best to side-step some of the loaded questions.
However, the 34-year-old has come under fire on social media for failing to call out some of the light-hearted comments.
The AlphaTauri driver was speaking from the Sundae Conversation studio ahead of the United States Grand Prix over the weekend and the episode dropped on Monday.
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Ricciardo has received criticism from some Formula 1 fans, but there appears to be just as much criticism towards those that have suggested Ricciardo’s appearance was tasteless.
The crass interview immediately went off the rails when Ricciardo was asked about female drivers.
Caleb Pressley: Do you think women are good drivers?
Daniel Ricciardo: Mmm, good is subjective, but yes.
CP: It’s offensive, isn’t it. It’s a stereotype that women are not good drivers. It’s hurtful. If you look at the stats. If you look at the facts. In the history of Formula 1 tell me the number of accidents that happen on the race track that have been caused by female drivers?
DR: Probably none
CP: Why is that?
DR: There has been little to no female F1 drivers.
CP: Why is that?
DR: Because there’s 20 of us in the world.
CP: We were going to surprise you today, with a female driver. But she had an accident. She’s OK though. She’s fine. She just couldn’t make it.
DR: That was really good.
The line of questioning appeared to end with Ricciardo complimenting his host about his attempt to get him in trouble.
Despite Ricciardo refusing to bite on the provocative topics, he has still been criticised for laughing at the jokes. One thread on the official Formula 1 Reddit page has more than 600 comments about the appropriateness of Ricciardo’s behaviour — with most brushing off any suggestion he stepped over the line.
Twitter, however, has also been flooded by criticism towards Ricciardo — as well as a backlash about the backlash he is facing.
daniel ricciardo apparently loves going on podcasts to make sexist remarks pic.twitter.com/NA01rsIRNI
— caroleen (@verclercswiftie) October 25, 2023
The appearance has since brought up previous podcast appearances where Ricciardo was awkwardly forced to laugh at ugly questions.
Ricciardo was last year interviewed by comedians Tom Segura and Christina P on their colourful Your Mom’s House podcast.
Sexst jokes about where the girls are “craziest” on the Formula 1 scene caused a minor storm last year when he was asked if the “tier one” girls overseas are better than the “bogan” girls back home in Australia.
Ricciardo avoided the question entirely.
Ricciardo has made a habit of appearing on edgy comedy podcasts having previously featured on Barstool’s Pardon My Take series.
In August Ricciardo also went on the Eff One with DRS podcast, where he first learned he features as the protagonist of a new erotic novel titled “Overtake My Heart: Thicc Ric Races for Love”.
Ricciardo’s year has been just as turbulent on the track with the Aussie struggling in his first Formula One race since returning from a broken hand.
Ricciardo made a strong start after starting 15th, climbing up to 10th place and as high seventh as a result of some pit stops and early retirements around him.
But sadly that’s as good as it got for the veteran, who crossed the line 17th — dead last out of the drivers who finished the race.
AlphaTauri decided to bring Ricciardo in for a very late pit stop, which meant he delayed Lewis Hamilton from making a late charge at Max Verstappen for the race victory.
Verstappen won his 15th race of the season ahead of Hamilton and Lando Norris.
AlphaTauri’s one-stop strategy didn’t pay off for Ricciardo.
“The one-stop strategy wasn’t working. He’s put the soft tyres on and just set the fastest lap of the race,” Martin Brundle said in commentary.
On-board footage also showed AlphaTauri’s pit crew extracting a chunky piece of debris from the front of Ricciardo’s car that certainly wouldn’t have helped his race pace.
The late pit stop allowed Ricciardo to record the fastest lap of the race but in a cruel twist, his teammate Yuki Tsunoda snagged the championship point by beating Ricciardo’s lap time on the very last lap.