AlphaTauri star Daniel Ricciardo has been told not to “hit a stripper” by Jimmy Kimmel as Formula 1 arrives in Las Vegas ahead of a first race around Sin City in over 40 years. Each of the 20 members on the grid will harbor hopes of becoming the first Las Vegas Grand Prix winner in decades, even if the likes of Ricciardo are a long shot to cross the checkered line first.
The popularity of F1 in the United States has risen so dramatically over the last few years that there are three races within the country this season. After the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas was joined by the Miami race, next weekend will see the debut of the Las Vegas Grand Prix which is set to run around the iconic strip.
F1 is in Las Vegas following a 40-year hiatus, and perhaps no driver is as excited as Ricciardo. The 34-year-old is one of the most recognizable faces and most marketable personalities in the sport, and he is ready to dive into what promises to be an entertaining experience in the desert.
During an appearance on the late-night show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, Ricciardo spoke with Las Vegas native Kimmel about the impact of F1 on the city. The strip is the circuit, and the renowned host expressed surprise at the magnitude of the F1’s decision given the strip closed down for the construction of the Las Vegas Street Circuit.
Ricciardo suggested locals ‘must hate’ F1, but Kimmel pushed back on such sentiment. He said: “No! Not at all! In fact, I will tell you that people in Las Vegas are really excited about this, they’re really like, you know, a lot of crazy things happen in Vegas but this one they’re particularly excited about.”
Kimmel was quick to allude that the grandiose behind the event would outweigh any disapproval. He also offered some advice for Ricciardo, declaring: “You gotta be careful though because you know, there are people with like Margaritas and uh, Daquiries that are like four and a half feet tall, you could easily run somebody over like, just don’t discount that factor, all right? If you see a red light, stop is what I’m saying!”
While Ricciardo suggested he would just look out for the 19 other drivers racing around the circuit, Kimmel clarified what he meant. As the Australian laughed, the 55-year-old added: “It could be thousands! There could be magicians, there could be strippers walking across.
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“You don’t want to hit a stripper!”
Fans in Las Vegas will undoubtedly go crazy if Ricciardo clinches a podium that allows him to whip out his classic ‘shoey’ celebration. Ricciardo celebrates strong results by drinking champagne out of his shoe, although his last podium came when he won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix while he was with McLaren.
Ricciardo will look to add to his six points earned in 2023 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which takes place on Saturday Nov. 19.
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