"As long as I haven't got Helmut Marko farting in front of me I'll be fine": When Christian Horner joked with Daniel Ricciardo about Red Bull advisor

Netflix's Drive to Survive saw many drivers and personnel from the F1 world earn fame worldwide, including ex-F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. The Aussie was once a Red Bull driver and one particular conversation between him and team principal Christian Horner was meme-worthy as the Briton joked about senior advisor Helmut Marko.

Red Bull and Ricciardo had a close relationship as the 35-year-old made his debut in F1 in 2011 with HRT and was soon promoted to Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso (now VCARB). He was soon given the call-up to the Milton Keynes-based team and became the team leader there since his arrival in 2014.

However, 2018 was a peculiar season in their relationship after Daniel Ricciardo decided to part ways with the Austrian manufacturer to join Renault, which left a sour taste in Red Bull's camp.

During an appearance in the Drive to Survive Season 6 (2024), Christian Horner and Ricciardo indulged in a hilarious conversation as the former took a dig at the team's senior advisor Helmut Marko by saying:

"Yeah, I'm on the 9:20 with f***ing half the Formula One paddock, I think so. Yeah, so as long as I haven't got Helmet [Marko] farting in front of me, I'll be fine," Horner said (3:02 onwards).

Daniel Ricciardo aimed to get back 'home' with his journey back to Red Bull. However, after driving for VCARB in the past two seasons, he was dropped mid-way through 2024 in favor of Liam Lawson.

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What has Daniel Ricciardo been up to since his split up with F1?

Daniel Ricciardo at the Miami Dolphins v Buffalo Bills - Source: Getty

While Ricciardo left the Singapore GP paddock with tear-filled eyes, he has been focusing on his private life in the meantime. After getting troubled by the intricacies of the F1 world in his return to the paddock, he took this chance to get some time off from such worries and enjoy his life.

On December 10 last year, he shared a post on his Instagram handle, offering glimpses of his life after his departure from the sport.

"Lifing," Ricciardo captioned the post.

However, F1 still holds a special place in his heart as his farewell message to the the racing series was an emotional one:

"I’ve loved this sport my whole life. It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey. To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you. It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it. Until the next adventure," Ricciardo wrote.

On the other hand, the 35-year-old has been tipped to get a seat at the new Cadillac F1 team entry in 2026. But Ricciardo has made it clear that he is enjoying his time off from racing and does not expect to get back on the grid.