Some might say Daniel Ricciardo has a mountain to climb in the Formula One World Championship but the Red Bull driver has taken that all too literally in the build-up to the British Grand prix. The Australian goes into this weekend’s race at Silverstone 50 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel but was put through his paces by British climber Shauna Coxsey in the race build-up.
For Ricciardo, it was a first time tackling an indoor climbing wall, where the first obstacle was to tackle the easiest run which he did at his first attempt, known in climbing as “a flash”. His tongue-in-cheek response was, “I’m an athlete what can I say”.
Coxsey showed Ricciardo some of the more challenging techniques she is capable of. She was giving him harder and harder challenges to undertake on the climbing wall. The video shoot culminated in the pair having a race, Ricciardo allowed to use all four limbs on the easiest route, Coxsey using just her hands and taking a far tougher route. It effectively ended in a dead heat.
Daniel Ricciardo said: “I always enjoy doing new things as it is good for your brain. The shoes are uncomfortable as hell though!”
“I felt some similarities between bouldering and racing. In racing, you pre-plan a lot of moves and decisions, and with climbing, you are also looking ahead and trying to plan the quickest way possible. Forward planning, and thinking next move all the time.
“I feel like you can learn a lot from other sports whether it is the way they prepare or the training they do.”
Coxsey said: “It was lots of fun, he was a lot better than I expected! He was considered, poised and tried really hard. He did some climbs I would not expect him to do.
“Climbing for me is all about trying to have fun with it. Training for me is 70% fun and 30% serious”
Ricciardo already has two grand prix victories to his name this season. He won round two of the championship in China as well as triumphing at F1’s jewel in the crown, the Monaco Grand Prix.
Coxsey started climbing aged four and is already the most successful competitive climber in British history, having reigned supreme at the British Bouldering Championships on numerous occasions.
Rocking it on the wall ? @danielricciardo brings his bouldering a-game with @shaunacoxsey ??? #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/SB1bPFFaPk
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 4, 2018
