Australian F1 star Daniel Ricciardo is well known for his antics as a trickster, but what happens when the script is flipped on him?
The Red Bull reserve driver is back in Australia for the Melbourne Grand Prix this Sunday and took some time out with the Nova crew of Fitzy, Wippa and Kate Ritchie to prank some unsuspecting locals.
Looking ridiculous in Coke-bottle glasses, fake moustache and slicked down hair, Optus’ chief of optimism took up a post in a retail store to sell customers phones and internet plans.
Through an earpiece, the cackling trio at Nova were delivering instructions on what he had to say.
Little did he know, though, that the tide was about to turn in a big way.
Ricciardo unveils his hilarious look for the prank on unsuspecting Optus customers in Melbourne
It started innocently enough, with a young man coming into the store looking for a new smartphone after dropping his in the pool.
‘I actually call it a vroom vroom, which is weird, but if you’re cool with that, we’re going to call it a vroom vroom,’ Ricciardo replied.
As the stunned customer stared at the F1 superstar, Ricciardo then reached for a bag at his feet and pulled out a smart phone.
‘This is the latest vroom vroom, but it makes calls, are you into texting?’ he asked.
‘Yeah I text a little bit,’ replied the customer.
‘Are you a swiper as well?’ Ricciardo asked, in reference to dating apps like Tinder.
‘Not at the moment, I’m all locked down,’ the customer replied.
‘You’re a good looking bloke, you should, ties yourself down I reckon,’ Ricciardo said.
The customer looks less than impressed with the display of ruining an old phone by dunking it in water, even if it was reduced to a bargain basement price
Ricciardo shows the old phone then dunks it into a glass of water to prove that it is ‘waterproof’
The customer managed to nod and smile politely, but Ricciardo was losing it, laughing behind his hand before continuing with the prank.
He then procured an older model phone and said: ‘This is my vroom vroom, that’s $20 if you want it’.
‘And it’s waterproof, mate check this out,’ Ricciardo added before dunking it into a glass of water and destroying it completely.
‘I might have to give you some rice with that one.
That was enough for this customer, who was politely escorted away to see a real salesperson.
Next customer in the line was looking for some high-speed internet and Ricciardo was forced to deliver a classic rant that included singing the lyrics to a Goo Goo Dolls classic.
‘I’m Jesse, how can I help you? Have you heard about our newest broadband? it’s super fast. It’s faster than a racecar. I love speed. I love anything really that goes fast like my hair line. That’s really something I enjoy,’ Ricciardo said as the bemused customer could barely get a word in.
This Optus customer had zero clue that he would be serenaded by Daniel Ricciardo when he walked into the shop to upgrade his broadband
Then came the serenade.
‘Are you into games? It’s great for games. Singstar that’s one of my favorites. Have you heard of Singstar, it’s like the karaoke. You know Iris by the Goo Goo dolls. You know the chorus,’ Ricciardo said before breaking into song.
While the first two customers had been genuine, it was time for the Nova crew to pull a swifty on the Aussie F1 star.
‘Optus is all about saying yes, so whatever question you get asked, your answer solely has to be yes the whole time,’ Fitzy directed Ricciardo for his final challenge.
An attractive young woman then approached the counter under the ruse of ‘looking for a new phone plan’, but unbeknownst to Ricciardo she had been planted by the Nova trio.
‘You look really familiar,’ she said.
Yes.
‘Are you Daniel Ricciardo?’
Yes.
‘What are you doing working here? Can we take a selfie?’
‘Not like this,’ Ricciardo said as he burst into laughter.
Ricciardo could not spare his blushes or his laughter as this actor flipped the script on the F1 superstar
The planted actor then ramped things up a notch.
‘You smell good,’ she said.
Yes.
‘Do you think that you’re actually the better driver for Red Bull?’
Yes.
‘I reckon you’re a really good kisser.’
Yes.
‘You are?’
Yes.
‘Should we like, test that theory sometime? Gimme your number?’
Blushing and laughing hysterically, Ricciardo had to give up the game as his girlfriend Heidi Berger would not likely be happy if he said yes to that.
The actor then revealed that she had been sent by the Nova trio to the relief of Ricciardo.
‘Oh my gosh, I hate you guys,’ he laughed.
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