The Honey Badger's journey in F1 hits 200!

©McLaren

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©McLaren

Daniel Ricciardo will start his 200th Grand Prix on Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, a milestone reached ten years after his F1 debut at Silverstone in 2011.

The Honey Badger's decade in the sport includes 7 wins – all achieved during his tenure with Red Bull Racing, 3 pole positions and 31 podiums.

But Silverstone is where it all started for Danny Ric, when an unexpected call-up from Helmut Marko put him on the grid of the British Grand Prix a week later with minnow outfit HRT.

"I won’t lie, I was intimidated by being there," remembered the McLaren driver, speaking on a recent In the Fast Lane podcast.

"I was excited and yes, I believed in myself, like I knew I didn’t just get put there for the sake of being put there.

"But as you’ve got all these world champions on the grid and now you’re part of those twenty-two at the time, pretty wild."

When he lines up on the grid on Sunday afternoon at Spa, Ricciardo will once again be flanked by a couple of world champions.

But the times when he was "intimidated" by such a royal presence are long gone. That was 199 races ago!

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.