Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Formula 1: Daniel Ricciardo reps Texas Longhorns with custom U.S. GP helmet

By Asher Fair

AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 01: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Renault Sport Formula One Team RS19 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on November 01, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 01: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia driving the (3) Renault Sport Formula One Team RS19 on track during practice for the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas on November 01, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Renault Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is paying homage to the Texas Longhorns with a custom helmet for this Sunday’s United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo will not be wearing his usual helmet for this Sunday’s Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas, the United States Grand Prix.

Ricciardo, who usually tries to do something Austin-themed when Formula 1 makes its way to Austin, Texas for this race, which it has done since the track opened in 2012, is set to wear a helmet themed after the Texas Longhorns NCAA football helmets.

Here is a picture of the helmet that the 30-year-old Australian is set to wear in this 56-lap race around the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas road course.

https://twitter.com/F1/status/1190294972685271041

Here is what Ricciardo had to say about his helmet selection, according to CBS Sports.

"“The long and short of it is: I love Austin. The first year we visited here, I fell in love with the place, the people and the atmosphere; it speaks my language! Last year, I finally went to a Texas Longhorns game and it was an awesome experience so I thought this year I’d tip my hat to them.”"

More from Formula One

The home stadium of the Texas Longhorns, Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, is only 18 miles away from Circuit of the Americas. It is not set to host a game this week, as this week is the Longhorns’ second bye week of the season.

The 2019 season has been somewhat of a disappointing season for both Ricciardo and the Longhorns. Ricciardo is in his first season driving for Renault after leaving Red Bull Racing, and Renault have taken a step back from their status as “best of the rest” last season, with lone customer team McLaren now holding that title. Ricciardo sits in 10th place in the driver standings ahead of teammate Nico Hulkenberg in an 11th place tie. Renault sit in fifth in the constructor standings.

Texas, meanwhile, sit in a third place tie in the 10-team Big XII conference after opening the season ranked #10 in the country and ascending to #9. But three losses, one to the #6 LSU Tigers, another one to the #6 Oklahoma Sooners and another one to the unranked TCU Horned Frogs, have the Longhorns sitting unranked at 5-3, 3-2 in the Big XII, with a crucial stretch of four games coming up that will determine whether or not they will compete in the Big XII championship game.

Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark

ABC is set to broadcast the United States Grand Prix live from Circuit of the Americas beginning at 2:05 p.m. ET this Sunday afternoon, so be sure not to miss the 19th of 21 races on the 2019 Formula 1 schedule.

Home/Formula One