After spending 14 years with the circus, we have become very well acquainted with Daniel Ricciardo. The charismatic and hilarious Australian has been the source of our entertainment for a few years now and his antics have also made his fans fall in love with him. This was made evident with the outcry following his McLaren ousting and the celebration after his reinstatement on the grid with AlphaTauri. These are all well-known facts about Ricciardo. However, today we want to talk about some less-known and talked about aspects of his life, like his father.

Not many know but Daniel Ricciardo’s father, Giuseppe “Joe” Ricciardo, was also a racing driver until 2017. The Italian since 1980 has taken part in 24 races altogether and Daniel’s earliest memories of motorsport is his father racing at the nearby Barbagallo Raceway in Wanneroo. One can assume that’s what sparked his interest in racing and that’s how he got his hands on a go-kart.

However, in spite of what the internet would say, Joe Ricciardo is a humble man who runs a construction business called Ricciardo Earthmoving in Western Australia. He was confused as the founder of the GR & JR Engineering company as his Wikipedia page used to describe. This assumption was debunked by a Reddit user, as reported by ECelebrity Mirror.

The user further revealed the Ricciardo family is very down to earth and an example of ‘middle-class hard-working Australians’. The user could claim this because of his relationship with the family and also revealed the Ricciardo family made a lot of sacrifices to make Daniel’s F1 dream come true.

Read More: “Brought Me Back to Normal Daniel:” Ricciardo Outlines the Cathartic Process That Made Him Shrug Off Horrors of McLaren Past

Now, after having enjoyed a career as he did in F1, there is no going back. However, it wouldn’t have been possible with his family. However, his father’s contribution doesn’t end there. He is also the reason we see Ricciardo make those late lunges to complete some incredible overtaking moves on the track.

Now, at the end of the day, is his father proud? Well, let’s hear it from Ricciardo himself.

Daniel Ricciardo reveals how his father feels about his Formula 1 career

Despite Joe Ricciardo staying out of the limelight, it is well-known he and his son share a close bond. Despite his extensive travels and long periods away from his family, the Ricciardo’s haven’t lost any love, quite the opposite. We never saw his father integrate into any teams similar to other F1 dads for personal reasons. However, is Daniel making his father proud? Let us highlight his answer to a similar question during an interview from the past.

He stated, “Of course, he tries to downplay it, but I notice how much it means to him, how excited he is when he’s with his friends. If I’m visiting at home and they have some people over, Dad will start talking about me a bit or let me, you know, share some experiences.”

He might not say it outright or admit it to him to his face but Giuseppe “Joe” Ricciardo is a proud father and the F1 pilot notices instances where he is full of pride. A wholesome father-son relationship even if it’s not evident around the paddock.