Ricciardo spoke to Ferrari: "We never got to the next step"

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.

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.