MOTORSPORT: Piastri to replace Ricciardo at McLaren

It's official: Oscar Piastri will replace fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren next season alongside Brit Lando Norris, following confirmation of the latest ruling by Formula 1’s Contract Recognition Board (CRB).

The 21-year-old from Melbourne will follow 17 other Aussies who have raced in F1 since the championship began in 1950, including world champions Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.

The announcement follows a wild month in F1 circles, after Piastri was initially announced as a driver for Alpine, which he swiftly declined, before Ricciardo subsequently revealed his departure from McLaren last week.

For Piastri, the drive is the culmination of a rapid rise through the junior ranks, but lining up alongside Norris, who will be entering his fifth season with the team, is set to be a significant challenge for his rookie campaign.

“I’m extremely excited to be making my F1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that’s been offered to me,” said Piastri.

“The team has a long tradition of giving young talent a chance, and I’m looking forward to working hard alongside Lando to push the team towards the front of the grid.

“I’m focused on preparing for my F1 debut in 2023 and starting my F1 career in papaya.”

From McLaren’s perspective, Piastri was the clear pick of choice, with the squad having access to a significant pool of talent globally.

“[Piastri] has an impressive racing career to date, and we are sure that together with Lando, he will be able to help us move another step forward towards our ambitions,” said Andreas Seidl, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team.

“We still have an important job to do this season which the team remains focused on, before we will then ensure Oscar is integrated into the team as quickly as possible and ready for the challenges ahead.

“We look forward to preparing for an exciting 2023 season together.”

The move by Piastri and his management team, led by former F1 ace Mark Webber, to favour McLaren over Alpine, raises questions regarding the administration of the Alpine organisation, who had a long-term relationship with the youngster.

In 2021, McLaren was clearly the fourth-best team on the grid behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari, with their final tally of 275 points outscoring the fifth-place Alpine squad by some 120.

Fast-forward to the current season and Alpine has a 20-point advantage over McLaren in the standings with eight races remaining, and has momentum going in its favour.

The ruling by the CRB follows on from the team losing current driver Fernando Alonso, who somewhat surprisingly departed the outfit to take over the seat of the retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin.

Piastri’s progression through the motorsport ladder has been meteoric.

From his start in karting in 2011 as a 10-year-old, he collected major titles locally before heading overseas in 2016, when he made his full-size open-wheeler debut.

After finishing runner-up in the 2017 British Formula 4 Championship, he progressed to the Formula Renault Eurocup, claiming that title in 2019.

The subsequent steps up the motorsport ladder were taken in his stride, securing both the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in 2020 and 2021, impressively both as a rookie.

This year, Piastri has been the reserve and test driver at Alpine, while also being contracted to the reserve driver pool at McLaren.

Confirmation of the McLaren deal puts another piece of the silly season puzzle in place, with Pierre Gasly set to make the switch from AlphaTauri to the vacant Alpine seat. Negotiations for the Frenchman to be released from his current contract, which still has a year remaining, are ongoing.

A potential move from Gasly could see either American Colton Herta or Mick Schumacher move to the Red Bull-backed squad.

For Ricciardo, who has signalled his intentions to stay on in F1, options appear to be limited, with possibilities existing at both Williams and Haas.

The calendar for the 2023 Formula 1 season is yet to be confirmed, although it is set to start at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit in March, before the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, which is slated for April 2.