Daniel Ricciardo says he feels sorry for Oscar Piastri over the contract dispute that played out during the 2022 F1 season.
Oscar Piastri will race for McLaren F1 next year, replacing Daniel Ricciardo, who has left the team after two dismal years.
However, the Alpine F1 team also insisted that Oscar Piastri’s contract ran until 2023, so Piastri’s future was only decided after a public hearing by the F1 contract approval committee.
In an interview with the InTheFastLane podcast, Daniel Ricciardo said he felt sorry for Oscar Piastri despite his personal struggles on the track.
“I definitely felt sorry for him,” Ricciardo said.
“Don’t get me wrong, obviously my career has been a bit harrowing and I was obsessed with myself and trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do.”
“But at the same time, I was aware of the comments and things that were directed at him.”
“I felt sorry for him for several reasons. One, getting into Formula 1 should be the highlight of your life. It’s a dream come true and you really enjoy it and celebrate it. It’s a little disappointing if we can’t do it, and in a sense what is the result.”
“He was in that situation, but he didn’t create it. It’s a product of all these events.”
Oscar Piastri is managed by Australian Mark Webber, who raced in F1 from 2002 to 2013.
Some have suggested that the situation could lead to an acrimonious relationship between the parties involved, but Daniel Ricciardo says otherwise.
“Obviously, Mark also has a job finding the driver’s seat,” Ricciardo said.
“People said, ‘How can you do that to another Australian!’ The no.”
“We were all trying to do our best. No one really knows him yet as a driver, as a character, as an individual.”
“I think it’s a bit harsh that it gets criticized when people are just making their own assumptions.”
“So I sympathize with him. This should be one of the proudest moments of his career and it’s not something he hesitates to talk about.”
Category: F1 / Daniel Ricardo / mclaren / Oscar Piastri
