McLaren's blatant Ricciardo lie exposed

2 years ago 146

In precocious July, McLaren squad main Andreas Seidl publically confirmed the team's committedness to Daniel Ricciardo.

"We person been wide from our broadside that we person a declaration successful place, and our sole absorption is unneurotic with Daniel connected uncovering these past percentages successful presumption of performance," helium said.

But the squad had already signed Oscar Piastri immoderate 3 weeks earlier. McLaren confirmed precocious Friday nighttime (AEST) Piastri would beryllium successful Ricciardo's spot successful 2023 aft the Contract Recognition Board recovered successful their favour.

While it's believed that July 4 declaration was formally a reserve role, mechanisms were successful spot that it could easy beryllium upgraded to a contention relation should a spot go disposable - oregon successful this lawsuit beryllium made available.

In the paddock of the Dutch expansive prix, Ricciardo revealed helium didn't cognize astir Piastri's contract, and truthful it seems past that the squad lied to some Ricciardo and to media. Shock horror.

"To beryllium honest, connected the date, that's the archetypal I've heard," helium told Sky Sports.

"I'm not alert of evidently clip lines and this and that, what the team's discussing.

"In presumption of timelines - besides I conjecture what the squad does preparing Oscar - that's not besides my concern successful presumption of what time they spoke, this oregon that.

"If that's the case, past truthful beryllium it. It's not truly my determination to make."

It's been a nightmare 2 years for Ricciardo astatine McLaren. He has struggled to get up to speed, and has been thoroughly trounced by young teammate Lando Norris.

Ricciardo admitted helium was alert determination were ongoing talks astir his performance.

"To beryllium honest, already earlier that date, let's accidental months, we were already discussing not my aboriginal but of people wherever we could amended to effort to person a amended aboriginal with the team," helium said.

"I'm alert determination were going to beryllium talks ongoing."

But is Piastri - a 21-year-old with zero F1 contention acquisition going to bash immoderate amended than Ricciardo, an eight-time expansive prix winner?

Seidl says yes.

"There's 2 reasons wherefore we wanted to person Oscar. I deliberation helium has shown successful the inferior categories that helium is thing precise peculiar and has a batch of potential, positive I deliberation besides successful presumption of personality, I deliberation helium is simply a cleanable acceptable into our team. That should beryllium the main absorption of the news," helium told Sky Sports successful the paddock astatine the Dutch expansive prix.

"We are perfectly convinced astir his endowment and astir his imaginable arsenic well. Oscar arsenic good a bit, he's young, he's afloat of energy, helium has the close magnitude of self-confidence arsenic well, but astatine the aforesaid clip he's precise humble and he's alert of however large the situation is adjacent year."

Piastri is highly-regarded by some McLaren and Alpine engineers, who person publically stated his feedback and method cognition is first-rate.

"I deliberation we are a squad that's shown successful the past we tin bash precise good and grip precise good young guys coming into the sport, and truthful I'm looking guardant to get going with him adjacent year."

Seidl acknowledged portion the CRB engagement successful the quality was a distraction successful the teams preparations for the Dutch expansive prix, helium said they were ne'er acrophobic they would regularisation successful Alpine's favour.

"In presumption of a Contract Recognition Board, for america that was ne'er a case," helium said.

"Therefore I conjecture it's amended you inquire the different enactment progressive wherefore they thought they person a case, and truthful this is not truly immoderate astonishment for us.

"It's important present we tin look to the future, it's important present to absorption astatine the aforesaid clip connected the last 8 races of the play unneurotic with Daniel and Lando. We privation to decorativeness this play successful a bully combat with the Alpines and past we absorption connected adjacent year."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!