Daniel Ricciardo has joined six Australian athletes on the shortlist for the prestigious ‘The Don’ award.
Winning three Formula 1 races in his maiden season with Red Bull, Ricciardo made the list for the award named after Australia’s cricketing great Don Bradman for the athlete who has most inspired the nation over the last 12 months.
The CAMS ambassador joins the list which includes NBA giant Patrick Mills, Commonwealth Games athletics gold medallists Sally Pearson and Michael Shelley, winter Olympian Lydia Lassila, tennis ace Nick Kyrgios and cricket’s Ashes destroyer Mitchell Johnson.
Ricciardo, who replaced fellow Australian Mark Webber in the Milton Keynes-based team for 2014, has enjoyed a momentous season in F1 which has been highlighted by wins in Canada, Hungary and Belgium.
The winner will be announced at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards dinner at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne on October 9.
Golfer Adam Scott took the award last year following his sudden-death playoff to become the first Australian to win the US Masters at the fabled Augusta course.