$50M F1 superstar names NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt as his role model

F1 star Daniel Ricciardo recently revealed his role model in motorsport, and it is none other than Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Australian driver's affection for the NASCAR legend isn't new as it goes way back to his childhood days.

On more than one occasion, Ricciardo has admitted that the late NASCAR driver was his role model. As a kid, the Australian driver not only watched his idol race on the tracks of the United States but also collected Diecast models of Earnhardt Sr.'s car.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner recently sat down with CNN to answer some rapid-fire questions. In the short TikTok video, Ricciardo was asked questions about the sport, his life, and everything around it. In one such question, the Australian driver was asked about his role model.

$50 million-worth Daniel Ricciardo (as per Celebrity Net Worth) did not flinch before naming the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion as his idol. He said:

"Dale Earnhardt," with a broad signature smile.

Unfortunately, the VCARB driver witnessed his idol's untimely death back in 2001, when Dale Earnhardt Sr. suffered a tragic accident during the Daytona 500. Ricciardo recalled that day in October 2021 when he heard about the legend Earnhardt Sr.'s death.

"I have a very photographic memory. I literally, when you said it, I had the image," Ricciardo said. "So I went on the teletext thing, I went sport, then NASCAR, and it was 'Legend Earnhardt killed'. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't understand how." (as per ESPN)

Notably, Daniel Ricciardo uses #3 as his racing number in Formula 1. When asked about it, he revealed that he took the number as an inspiration from Dale Earnhardt Sr.

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Daniel Ricciardo once drove Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s car

McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo (3) (AUS) takes Dale Earnhardt's 1984 Cup Car (3) for laps at the 2021 F1 United States Grand Prix Source: Getty Images.

During the 2021 United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, Daniel Ricciardo had the opportunity to drive Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo #3 car. He thoroughly enjoyed driving the Intimidator's bright yellow and light blue shed's Wrangler-painted Chevrolet.

Speaking about how it went, the Aussie stated:

"You have to wrestle it," Ricciardo said. "But saying that, it handled a lot better than I thought. It was really cool. Felt like I was able to get into it. I wasn't comfortable catching the oversteers, you have to catch the wheel and I'm not really used to that. It got out of me a little bit."

Zak Brown, the current McLaren CEO, provided the opportunity to Daniel Ricciardo after the Australian driver fulfilled a promise to the former. At the start of the 2021 F1 season, Brown promised Ricciardo that he would arrange the special drive if the latter managed a podium during the season. The former McLaren driver went a step ahead and claimed the 2021 Italian Grand Prix victory in Monza.