Daniel Ricciardo is shutting down the idea that Formula 1 drivers look down on IndyCar, and he's doing it with the kind of straight talk fans have come to love from the Honey Badger.

Speaking on Conor Daly's Speed Street podcast ahead of the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500—which Ricciardo will attend as a fan for the first time—the eight-time Grand Prix winner was clear: there's no hierarchy in the paddock, just mutual respect between racers.

"There's definitely respect for it," Ricciardo said. "There was never a discussion like, 'we're the best, F1's this, we're up here'—like no. As a kid, sure, F1 was where I wanted to be, and I was a fan of Senna and all of that growing up. But it was never like, we're here and everyone else is there. When you get to a level, you know what's involved in racing."

The comments come after American driver Conor Daly suggested IndyCar deserves "more respect from over there." But Ricciardo insists the online fan debates don't reflect reality inside the sport.

"There's definitely not a 'we're cooler than you guys'—there's none of that," he added. "I think we all just ultimately love racing. You guys do a very different discipline—especially the oval stuff compared to circuit racing with a ton of downforce. But it's different."

That doesn't mean Ricciardo is ready to suit up for an oval race anytime soon. The Australian has been famously candid about his fear of high-speed oval racing, and he doubled down on it during the podcast.

"Yeah, I think you said Max said it. I've said it for many years. Scares the s**t out of me," he admitted, referencing a similar comment from Max Verstappen.

Ricciardo also pushed back on the assumption that F1 drivers only care about their own series. "Some people are surprised when they're like, 'Dude, you like that?' Like if I said I grew up watching NASCAR, they'd be like, 'Wait, NASCAR? You're an F1 guy.'"

For fans of both series, it's a reminder that racing is racing—and the respect between the world's top drivers runs deeper than the internet drama suggests. Whether you're trackside at Monaco or the Brickyard, the love for speed is universal.