Is Daniel Ricciardo the most successful Australian F1 driver?

Daniel Ricciardo was often regarded as one of the best drivers on the grid when he raced in F1 from 2011- 2022. He registered eight wins and three pole positions and stood on the podium 32 times.

He's not racing on the grid currently, serving as the reserve driver for Red Bull in 2023 while looking for opportunities to make a return next year. Despite his stellar driving abilities, Daniel Ricciardo is not the most successful Australian driver in F1 history.

Statistically, he's fourth in terms of wins by an Australian driver in F1, behind the likes of Jack Brabham, Alan Jones and Mark Webber. Webber, who like Ricciardo raced for Red Bull, has nine wins, while Jones has 12 and won the world title in 1980. However, the most successful Australian driver in F1 history is Jack Brabham.

He won 14 races in the sport and three world championships: in 1959, 1960 and 1966. He's one of the few drivers who launched his own F1 team and won championships with them.

---

“I’ll always take some responsibility or accountability" - Daniel Ricciardo

Former McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has said that he will always take some blame and accountability for his failed stint with the iconic British team. Speaking via Speedcafe, he said:

“I’ll always take some responsibility or accountability. For many years, I truly believed I was the best, and I am the best in the world, so whatever the situation, I’ll be able to overcome it. And obviously with McLaren it was tough for me to do that. So, yeah, I was aware that I’m not the perfect driver; I do have weaknesses, so I’ll always hold something on to myself.”

He added:

“Having a bit of a chance to remove myself from it and now looking back on the last two years, I would have done things differently if I had that time again, or maybe ask more questions or been a little bit more demanding. But you also live and you learn, so I don’t look back with regret. That was a situation, and I got through it.”

Daniel Ricciardo said that he's happy to be back with Red Bull:

“Getting back into Red Bull, I felt as well I was certainly a little bit. … My confidence was probably not what it used to be as well. Even I was a little bit probably timid getting into the simulator, trying to downplay how it was going to go.

The Australian will look to return to the grid next season and add to his wins tally.