Picture Credit: Formula 1
Ahead of the Brazilin Grand Prix this weekend, Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo flaunted his boxing skills as he squared off with former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at Chute Boxe training centre in Sao Paulo.
The 33-year-old met his good friend, soon after landing in the country as he took part in a few friendly bouts.
Notably, Oliveira is a professional mixed martial artist and a former UFC Lightweight champion. The video was shared on Twitter by the official twitter handle of McLaren, where Ricciardo can be seen displaying his boxing skills inside the cage.
The Australian was seen throwing punches at Oliveira which the Brazilian defended pretty easily. Ricciardo will be seen in action this weekend at the Sao Paulo circuit, which could potentially be the penultimate F1 race of his career.
Ricciardo has raced nine time in Interlagos since 2011. The Australian and McLaren have agreed to part ways at the end of the season, and the Australian driver will not be on the grid in 2023.
Meanwhile, Ricciardo recently revealed that he is at risk of being left out of the sport as none of his negotiations (even as a reserve driver) have worked out.
"I feel a bit of risk on both sides. but if I was to be back on the grid in 2024, this has the biggest upside. I think risk in jumping into a seat next year. It’s shown here in my time at McLaren that nothing’s guaranteed in terms of performance," he said.
"So, if it was, for whatever reason, to be a relatively unsuccessful campaign, I think personally I would probably be done with the sport. So that risk seems way bigger than the risk of sitting out a year," he added.
He further admitted that he is aware of the fact that he might not get another F1 offer, but he is at peace with that condition.
"I am certainly aware, and I am also at peace with it if that's the case. I am standing with my decision. Look, I don’t want this to be my last two races in F1, but it is that I accept that could be an outcome,” concluded Ricciardo.