Ricciardo “would have cried” if he’d heard Earnhardt Jr’s comments
McLaren Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo admits he would have cried if he’d heard Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s response to the Australian driving his father's 1984 Chevrolet NASCAR at Austin.

McLaren boss Zak Brown, who owns the machine campaigned in period by legendary NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Sr as part of his extensive car collection, vowed after Ricciardo's victory at the Italian Grand Prix to reward him with a test run.
Ricciardo, who is running an Earnhardt Sr tribute helmet at this weekend's US Grand Prix, has previously spoken of growing up supporting the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and revealed earlier this year how he was impacted by his death in the 2001 Daytona 500.
The Australian duly drove the blue-and-yellow Wrangler-backed car at the Circuit of The Americas on Saturday and explained that he had “so much fun” driving a car that was “so raw and foreign”.
“The noise, smashing gears, the driving position - everything’s quite unique,” he said.
“And it’s Dale’s car – one of my all-time heroes, so that was surreal. Good fun.
“And I think to do it here as well - if we had rented a private track somewhere in England, I don’t know, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. So I’m really grateful that Zak flew it out here.”
Following Ricciardo's demo run, retired NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote on Twitter: “I’m happy for Daniel. I’m also appreciative for how he celebrates my father. That makes a lot of dad’s family members and fans smile.”
When informed of Earnhardt's response, Ricciardo said that he “immediately got goosebumps”.
“Honestly, if we’d been in a private setting and [Junior] told me that one-on-one, I think I’d probably have cried a little bit,” he said.

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1984 Wrangler Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet NASCAR
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“It was pretty crazy – like, happy-crazy – to be appreciated by that family in general. I’ve been such a fan.
“After Senior, I was a massive fan of Junior. I was watching every NASCAR race for years. I’d wake up and watch Junior try and win the 500 every February.
“It was pretty cool just to be recognised and appreciated for having support for his dad.”
Ricciardo admitted that he had been in a quandary when F1 drivers were first allowed to choose their car numbers, and he automatically went for the #3 that Earnhardt Sr. made legendary in NASCAR.
“I ran the #3 in his font on my helmet… and I remember speaking to Dale Jr.,” said Ricciardo.
“I was like, ‘Do I ask if I can do it?’ Even before I asked, he was like, ‘That’s so cool, we really appreciate you.’
“But I was also confident enough in my ‘fanboy’. I’d followed Dale for so many years as a kid, and then Dale Jr., so I was confident that if I got questioned about it I could speak truly and truthfully about it.
“And to bring that into F1 – it’s a bit like myself and Lando with Valentino Rossi. He’s got nothing to do with F1 but he’s a huge figure in motorsport and I appreciate that. It’s the same with Earnhardt.”
Related video

Wolff denies Cowell departure behind Mercedes F1 engine struggles
Alpine changed Alonso's engine in Austin for performance gain

Latest news
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Ford: F1 return wasn’t possible without changes to engine rules
Ford would not have returned to Formula 1 without the major changes to the engine regulations for 2026, according to its motorsport boss.
Mercedes takes BoP hit after rapid Bathurst qualifying
Mercedes teams have been dealt a hefty Balance of Performance blow ahead of tomorrow's Bathurst 12 Hour following Maro Engel's lap record-breaking effort in the Top 10 Shootout.
Lapierre to skip 2023 WEC season as Alpine steps down to LMP2
Nicolas Lapierre is set to be absent from the World Endurance Championship grid for the first time since 2015 this year, following Alpine’s step down to LMP2.
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.