If Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton are ever teammates in Formula One their joint nickname has already written itself.
Ricciardo became the subject of a new meme during the Australian Grand Prix after a local news channel asked a young fan, Louis Pope, who his favourite driver is. Pope responded with “Danny Avocado”.
That inevitably prompted a range of photoshopped images of Ricciardo’s face inside an avocado. Pope, by then decked yellow and black of Renault, met Ricciardo in the Melbourne paddock during the week and the pair had a humorous exchange, where the youngster still referred to his hero by the wrong surname. In the video posted by F1, Ricciardo asks him a series of questions — including whether he goes nightclubbing and if he has a girlfriend — while Pope clutches an avocado, which he later reveals he is going to keep.
Nice to meet you, Mr Avocado 🥑 😂#F1 #AusGP 🇦🇺 @danielricciardo pic.twitter.com/HBeEXalqcY
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 16, 2019
The joke was clearly picked up by some of Ricciardo’s rivals in the paddock and this week reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton got in on the action. The Mercedes driver posted a picture of him and Ricciardo walking through the Melbourne paddock with the caption “Avocado and ham” with a laughing emoji afterwards.
Ricciardo responded with a picture of ham and avocado on toast.
Ricciardo seems to be enjoying it too pic.twitter.com/qO4cPTkC0d
— Annie (@McAnnie_F1) March 22, 2019