Daniel Ricciardo is an Australian with Italian roots. His father was born in Sicily. It is therefore not surprising that he has been linked with a seat at Ferrari in the past. He now admits that there were talks but it never came close to a deal.
""There were a few phone calls but even then it never got to details. It never got to, let's say, step two. It was always at a basic level", says the McLaren driver to ESPN, who does feel he fits in well with Ferrari due to his background.
Ricciardo as half Italian
For Ferrari, Ricciardo was a logical choice for a while. Kimi Raikkonen's best was over, Ricciardo didn't feel completely comfortable at Red Bull and there was no Italian driving in Formula 1 for several years. "I think I was seen as the closest thing."
Really mourning the fact that it never got beyond some conversations, though, Ricciardo isn't. Ferrari was his favourite team as a child, but he can't be called a fanatical supporter. "It wasn't my dream to race for them, my dream was always to get into Formula One," he said.