Ricciardo saddened by Piastri public 'shame'

1 year ago 73

Daniel Ricciardo believes Oscar Piastri has been treated excessively harshly from outsiders arsenic the young Aussie prepares to marque his Formula 1 debut successful the McLaren spot Ricciardo has occupied the past 2 seasons.

Ricciardo has taken up a 3rd operator relation with Red Bull for 2023, and volition nary uncertainty beryllium eyeing a contention spot for 2024 - perchance successful place of Sergio Perez if helium doesn't perform.

Speaking connected the Australian Grand Prix Corporation's In The Fast Lane podcast, Ricciardo said it would beryllium a "shame" if the storyline surrounding Piastri's McLaren tenure meant helium wasn't capable to bask his F1 debut to the fullest.

"My vocation was benignant of successful a mode going tits up, truthful I was surely precise occupied with myself successful trying to fig retired what the hellhole I was going to do," Ricciardo said.

"I was alert of immoderate of the comments and worldly that was going towards him ... I felt for him. This should beryllium 1 of the biggest moments of your life, getting into Formula 1 - it's a imagination travel true.

"And if it can't beryllium ... enjoyed oregon celebrated, past yea it's a spot of a shame.

"That was conscionable however the chips fell. He was successful the situation, but it's not similar helium created the situation."

At the halfway of the nationalist commentary was the Aussie-eat-Aussie sentiment - a feeling deepened by the information Piastri is managed by Mark Webber, who Ricciardo replaced astatine Red Bull for the 2014 season.

Webber was the antheral who sniffed an accidental astatine McLaren, and got Piastri retired of the Alpine inferior academy and into a contention seat. Ricciardo said helium had nary hard feelings for either party.

"Mark has a occupation to bash ... trying to find his operator a seat. I get however radical were like, you're doing that to different Aussie, blah, blah, but I surely didn't presumption it similar that.

"And no-one truly knows (Piastri) yet arsenic a operator oregon an individual, truthful it's a small harsh that he's getting immoderate instrumentality (from) radical conscionable making their ain assumptions.

"This should beryllium 1 of the proudest moments of his career, not thing that he's frightened to speech about."

Before signing with Red Bull, Ricciardo was heavy linked with a akin relation astatine Mercedes. He said determination was "certainly an appetite" for the woody earlier talks stalled.

"Then the Red Bull worldly started to marque much and much sense, and that had much and much legs and past it ... benignant of people progressed arsenic it did.

"It was bully conscionable to inactive beryllium valued by immoderate apical teams aft the mates of years I've had, and erstwhile the Red Bull happening became much serious, it made much and much sense.

"I besides thought 'I've evidently jumped astir a spot the past fewer years, possibly a spot of familiarity would beryllium bully for me'."

Ricciardo said helium hoped to lone question to astir a 3rd of the races adjacent season, but didn't springiness an denotation which races they would be.

The 2023 Formula 1 play volition footwear disconnected successful Bahrain successful March.

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!