Like many F1 drivers, Daniel Ricciardo stays close to his roots. Despite the fame, the money, and the glamour, a true racer like the Aussie never strays too far from a track and is never above getting back in a kart seat. In fact, his newest business venture serves as a way of giving back to his fans and supporting the next generation of karters looking to make a name for themselves, Ricciardo’s started his own of line of karts and they’re incredible. He’s probably getting good money too, but let’s focus on the altruistic element here.

Ricciardo sits casually beside his creation.

Ricciardo started karting at the tender age of nine and continued dicing in them until he made his switch to Formula Ford at fifteen. He still attributes his racing success to the skills and racecraft he learned in the diminutive little machines, and when he craves a quick hit of adrenaline, gets back in the seat.

To see his vision to reality, Ricciardo teamed with Birel ART, and helped develop the broad range of karts. The line includes a whole range of versions; from Mini-karts, to Rotaxes, to all the CIK-FIA karts that are competed in in the top tiers of international kart racing. Like Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli, the cheerful Australian has joined the ranks of F1 stars who want to give back to the world which helped them find success.

With his head down to gain some speed on the straight; Ricciardo is always competitive, regardless of the machinery.