Daniel Ricciardo has given a typically hilarious Daniel Ricciardo response to a question on a US late-night TV appearance.
Having spent much of the off-season in Australia, Ricciardo is back in the US where his Red Bull team launched their 2023 car early Sunday morning (AEDT).
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Aussie was asked for his opinion on why Formula 1 had exploded in popularity stateside.
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“I was going to say something serious, but I think ultimately it’s my good looks,” Ricciardo said, sending the studio audience into raptures.
Ricciardo then did get serious, and attributed the rise to the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which is about to launch its fifth season – a mark Ricciardo described as “pretty wild”.
“Look I think the series blowing up, I think that’s put it on the map worldwide,” he said.
“There’s parts of the world where it has always been big – in Europe Formula 1 has always existed for many, many years and there’s always been a core following there.
“In the States I feel like it was inevitable to blow up here because you do sports so well, it was just a matter of time but I feel it accelerated through this series.”
Ricciardo will not be on the grid in 2023, splitting with McLaren with a year left on his contract.
He has returned back to Red Bull Racing, signing as a reserve driver underneath two-time World Champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
Red Bull launched its 2023 livery in a ritzy display in New York on Sunday morning.
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