Ricciardo heads West: 'Don't get me started on Austin!'

It's a destination appreciated by the entire F1 community but for Daniel Ricciardo, Austin offers the best of both the racing and the urban worlds.

The city's Circuit of the Americas has been on the F1 map since 2012, and with the exception of a muddy mess caused by torrential rain in 2015, the event hasn't missed a beat and has grown as a highlight of the Grand Prix season.

Ricciardo is evidently at home in Texas, the lone star State perhaps offering a few common traits with his native Australia.

However, the Red Bull driver's infatuation with Austin starts with COTA, its lay-out and atmosphere.

"Damn, I love the city of Austin and the country of America, I think it’s beautiful. Firstly, I think it’s one of the best circuits we go to on the calendar for racing," says Ricciardo.

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"You can pass in four different places. There’s some tracks you struggle to pass on once, so to have four different opportunities with the shape of the corners and the apexes, everything just creates a real good atmosphere which encourages you to battle.

"It encourages you to fight. Fight in the spirit of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave."

For the Aussie, COTA brings F1 back to what it should all be about: pleasure for the drivers as much as for the fans.

"Boy, I love the feeling of racing at COTA. Beyond that, it’s also a great circuit for the spectators. If you get perched up on the hill at Turn 1, boy, you can nearly see the whole circuit," he adds.

"Turn 1 is a great place for the start, for overtaking and pit stops. If there’s racing out of the pits you’re in prime seat, that’s right, prime seat.

"Then you’ve got the COTA Tower. If you know someone, who knows someone, who might just know someone and you can get up the COTA Tower you’ll have a whole view of Austin, hell, that’s really something special."

Last but not least, beyond the race track, there's the city of Austin itself, and the many great memories it holds for the Honey Badger.

"Boy, don’t get me started on the great city of Austin," he enthuses in a southern drawl.

"I’m not gonna drop names on y’all now and give away all the places we go because I love'em all, but the food is something special.

"I love my ribs, my brisket and boy, they got nachos coming out of their tachitos. What’s a tachito, I have no idea!

"I feel when I talk in this accent, I become this person. Oh boy, I’m gonna stop this right now as I got a bit carried away. See y’all in Austin."

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