The idea that Formula 1 drivers sit behind a velvet rope and look down at the IndyCar Series has been a talking point for a while. American racing driver Conor Daly has said that the series deserves "more respect from over there." So, when Daniel Ricciardo joined him on his Speed Street podcast ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, the question was quickly asked.
The eight-time grand prix winner was quick to dismiss the suggestion that F1 drivers look down at their oval-racing colleagues.
"Yeah, there's definitely respect for it," he said. "There was never a discussion like, 'we're the best, F1's this, we're up here' - like no. As a kid sure, for me F1 was where I wanted to be, and I was a fan of [Ayrton] Senna and all of that growing up, so that was a big part of what I wanted to do.
"But it was never like, we're here and everyone else is there. I think when you get to a level, you know what's involved in racing."
The hierarchy that fanbases construct online certainly isn't the one operating within the paddock. Ricciardo continued: "There's definitely not a 'we're cooler than you guys' - there's none of that. And at least I never experienced that. I think we all just ultimately love racing, and you guys do a very different discipline - especially obviously the oval stuff compared to the circuit racing, what we do with a ton of downforce and all that. But it's different."
Back in 2022, the Australian was clear that oval racing scares him. "F*** that," he said. "Ovals scare me."
Nothing has changed since.
"Yeah, I think you said Max [Verstappen] said it. I've said it for many years. Scares the s**t out of me."
On the assumption that F1 drivers only care about F1 rather than other forms of motorsport, he added: "Some people are surprised when they're like, ‘Dude, you like that?’ Like if I said I grew up watching NASCAR, they'd be like, ‘Wait, NASCAR? You're an F1 guy.’"
The former Red Bull driver will be attending this year's Indianapolis 500 as a fan after retiring from racing and becoming a Ford Racing ambassador.
"What you've told me about Indy and the 500 - I've probably never been more excited since I was a kid to go to a race and just be a fan of a race, you know? And I think to experience it, and the way you speak about it - you've done the European thing, you've travelled the world racing. I think it's going to really hit me hard."
He went to Daytona for the first time at the end of last year and found that seeing the banking in person was something else entirely: "Man, some things you just have to see. You just have to physically see it," he said before adding: "And I think that's how I feel with the 500.
"I have an idea of what it will be like. I've been around racing my whole life, but there will still be things that are just gonna blow me away and I think that's cool."
