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MIAMI — Daniel Ricciardo‘s smile has by no means regarded wider. With nation music blaring from the onboard audio system of his private watercraft, the eight-time grand prix winner joins ESPN out on the open water with solar on his pores and skin and sea water in his hair.
Over 300 metres from the shoreline, it is one of many extra uncommon interview areas for each driver and reporter, however there could not be a extra becoming backdrop forward of System One’s inaugural race in Miami.
“Fairly cool, huh?” he tells ESPN as he shuts off the engine and we bob up and down within the turquoise waters. “This can be a first for me as properly.”
After we speak, there’s 5 days to go till race day and Ricciardo has spent the morning ripping his new journey round a small island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay.
It is a mixture of work and play as he takes route from a movie crew on a ship, who’re capturing footage for an upcoming product launch for Sea-Doo — a producer of 300-brake-horsepower playthings for the water. Ricciardo is the brand new face of the model, and right this moment is all about securing imagery of solar, sea and smiles in a postcard-perfect setting.
Ricciardo’s aquatic playground is a lagoon positioned between Miami Seashore and the downtown space. The calm and clear waters have been closed off to the general public by the native sheriff so the McLaren driver can let free, and to date he isn’t been holding again.
After over a decade in System One, Ricciardo is not any stranger to adrenaline, however he is clearly nonetheless buzzing on the subject of interview time halfway by way of the morning. His common journey — a 1000-brake-horsepower F1 automobile — topics his physique to 5 instances the power of gravity by way of high-speed corners, however after driving it for 11 years, he is considerably used to that.
Being on the water, nonetheless, is a brand new form of thrill.
“I used to be constructing my confidence on the market, however I needed to inform myself, ‘Do not get too assured’ as a result of I nonetheless do not actually know what I am doing!
“It positively scared me a bit. I believe it is as a result of being on the water is a little bit bit out of my consolation zone, however normally it is simply because it is actually quick.
“They are saying you’ll be able to go from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds on this factor. I am glad I am carrying gloves since you want each little bit of grip to carry on to it.
“I imply, it feels actually fast. I am assuming it appears actually fast as properly?”
It does. Regardless that he is nonetheless getting used to the machine, Ricciardo instantly impressed the staff from Sea-Doo.
“I wasn’t anticipating him to nook that tough,” stated one as we watched Ricciardo from an island within the lagoon. The 32-year-old had the watercraft banked over and on the throttle as he got here inside inches of a buoy marking out a race “observe” on the water.
Even so, Ricciardo insists he was holding again a bit — cautious of injuring himself forward of Sunday’s huge occasion.
“I’ve to remind myself that I’ve acquired to race this weekend! I almost forgot about that on the market.”
That is the place the nation music is available in — it helps to mellow the temper.
“I really feel prefer it’s a rustic music vibe out right here right this moment,” he says. “Music and a machine — it is all I need in life!
“If I might hearken to music once I raced in F1, I believe I’d be sooner. I might be the world champion that would have been with music!”
It begs the query, what could be the very best music for an F1 race?
“I’d begin with one thing heavier, whether or not it is punk rock or some hip-hop, after which because the race went on I’d mellow it out to attempt to get myself within the zone.
“Perhaps some silky digital music to maintain you in a little bit of rhythm.”
Away from F1, Ricciardo says he typically makes use of completely different types of motorised transport to let off steam. His final three-machine storage does not embody an F1 automobile, however as an alternative a 110 cc motocross bike, an off-road two-seater buggy and his new Sea-Doo, which he describes as a motorcycle for the water.
He has raced automobiles his entire profession, however the two-wheeled world is more and more what pursuits him and can seemingly present his kicks when he lastly offers up racing.
“I used to be at all times fascinated by two wheels,” he says. “Once I was rising up, I used to be watching as a lot two-wheel racing as four-wheel, whether or not it was bike racing or filth bike racing or the freestyle motocross, I used to be so into it.
“Through the years, as a result of I’ve spent a lot time on 4 wheels, I’ve had extra curiosity in two wheels as a result of it is nonetheless new and thrilling for me.
“That is one thing I wish to do once I retire from F1 is to discover ways to get higher on these and on filth bikes.”
So might he make a swap to racing one thing aside from automobiles?
“No, not competitively. Only for enjoyable.
“My aggressive gene will probably be worn out after F1. I plan to burn all of the wicks in F1, and it will simply be for enjoyable after that.
“I am going to nonetheless get adrenaline from it, like days like right this moment, however I am going to look to get my kicks from the fun of it fairly than seeking to be sooner than the man subsequent to me.”
With the solar reappearing from behind a cloud, the circumstances are proper for extra content material capturing and it is time for Ricciardo to get again to “work”. The movie crew on the boat have extra photographs to safe and no want to have a journalist within the body with their celebrity.
Ricciardo fires his Sea-Doo again up, the nation music returns and he heads off for one more lap of the island.
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