And just like that, he’s proven that he’s exactly like the rest of us.
Australian and Perth F1 superstar Daniel Ricciardo is back home and has been spotted out and about doing some last-minute Christmas shopping.
The much-loved West Aussie braved Karrinyup Shopping Centre and was seen holding hands with what looks to be long-term partner Heidi Berger on Saturday, just two days before Christmas.
The 34-year-old looked casual in a white shirt, shorts and some Nike Dunks and even stopped to take pictures with a fan.
The sighting comes as the motorsport sensation admits he still harbours ambitions of becoming a Formula One world champion and believes returning to Red Bull would be the dream finish to his career.
He spent six months of the 2023 season on the sidelines as Red Bull’s reserve driver after being unceremoniously axed by McLaren in favour of Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri.
However, he was parachuted into Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, mid-season after they parted ways with accident-prone Dutchman Nyck de Vries.
And while Ricciardo is keen to push his current team as high up the standings in 2024 as possible after a good fight back this year, he said his ambitions are to earn a seat back alongside World Champion Max Verstappen.
“I am not going to put a day or date on it, or a year whatever, but coming back into it and jumping back in with the Red Bull family is really the dream,” Ricciardo told the Beyond the Grid podcast.
“To end my career as a Red Bull driver would be perfect.
“Not that I am looking at the end, but if I got back there, I would make sure I finished there.”