Just when you thought you couldn’t like Daniel Ricciardo anymore, the Red Bull Racing driver has dedicated his Malaysian Grand Prix victory to Jules Bianchi.
Ricciardo opened up to the media after taking his first victory of the season.
“After Monaco in particular was obviously mixed emotions,” he said. “It was a hard one to take. I felt we’ve come through that, as a team we’ve learnt a lot. As a person, it made me a bit stronger. I think I’ve only got better since then.
“I want to thank my parents. They’re not here this weekend but definitely without them… I think just simple things, the way they supported me growing up. I had a good upbringing, I’m thankful for that. I think it’s definitely helped me get to this point. My sister as well.”
The Red Bull Racing driver then revealed he’d been waiting to score a victory so he could dedicate it to his friend Bianchi, who tragically died from his injuries last year following a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
I’ll never forget you and the good times we had. Going to miss you bro ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nHxnuIdCwN
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) July 18, 2015
“I want to dedicate this one to Jules, as well. I’ve been waiting for a victory and waiting to dedicate this to him.
“My life definitely changed after that incident. I’m extremely grateful and appreciative of everything that I’ve got. I’ll dedicate this to him.”
Sorry, I’ve got something in my eye…