Australian F1 driver has become an American fan favorite. Now he’s a Kentucky Colonel, too

It’s not uncommon for Formula 1 drivers to be bestowed high honors by government officials – British driver Lewis Hamilton has been knighted by British royalty and Dutch driver Max Verstappen is an officer in the Netherlands.

Now, add Daniel Ricciardo, an honorary Kentucky Colonel, to the list.

Ricciardo isn’t from America, but the U.S. F1 audience has come to support him as much as any other driver in a sport that usually has more appeal overseas. The Australian native has been an icon among F1 fans in the states for his iconic post-race tradition of drinking champagne out of his shoe when he finishes on the podium and his affinity for cowboy hats.

How Daniel Ricciardo wound up a Kentucky Colonel

Ricciardo has actually been a Kentucky Colonel for awhile, he just didn’t know it.

He was in Nashville for a promotional Red Bull Racing event over the weekend prior to the U.S. Grand Prix, which is where Adam Haley managed to get him his Kentucky Colonel certificate.

Haley, a Louisville resident who works in public policy for Goodwill and is a Kentucky Colonel himself, said he successfully nominated Ricciardo to be a Kentucky Colonel a couple years ago. Ricciardo’s certificate says it was signed by Gov. Andy Beshear on Jan. 26, 2021.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this’ll be funny,’” Haley said of his decision to nominate the F1 driver.

“And I got it a couple weeks later and had no idea what to do, so I was like, ‘Alright, I’ll try to send it to Daniel.’”

Despite efforts to contact Ricciardo’s representatives, Haley wasn’t able to connect the Aussie with his new honor.

Until last weekend.

Haley and his wife attended the Red Bull Showrun event Oct. 14 where Ricciardo was set to drive a Red Bull F1 car for local fans. While there, Haley said he managed to find a staffer for the Red Bull Racing team.

“I stopped him, I said, ‘Hey, I know you’re very busy, but I have this kind of weird request,’” Haley said. He explained how he’d managed to get Ricciardo colonel status and asked the team representative to give Ricciardo the document.

The team official, who Haley said turned out to be Red Bull’s head of communications, agreed. A few minutes later, Haley received photos of Ricciardo with proof of his new honor.

Haley said the Red Bull team told him Ricciardo was “stoked.”

“His immediate thinking was free bourbon for life,” Haley said.

Photos and videos of Ricciardo displaying his new certificate Sunday drew hundreds of thousands of views online, and the Red Bull Racing account shared it to TikTok.

Ricciardo, who drives for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri, has seen some success racing in the United States. He’s finished on the podium twice in Austin, Texas, which is where this weekend’s race will be held.

Haley said he and his wife have been F1 fans for years, and they’re big fans of Ricciardo. They didn’t get to meet him at last weekend’s event, but they’re “still trying.”

“While the Colonel (rank) does not provide him free bourbon, he is, of course, welcome to my supply anytime he is in town,” Haley said.

What is a Kentucky Colonel?

The honor of Kentucky Colonel is awarded by Kentucky’s governor and goes to people to recognize their “noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to our community, state and nation,” according to the Kentucky Colonel website.

Colonels don’t have to be from Kentucky. There are Kentucky Colonels residing in every state in the U.S. and dozens of nations abroad, according to the group’s website.