Will Piastri be able to take the place alongside Norris at McLaren?
F1 News
- GPblog.com
The departure of Daniel Ricciardo came as no surprise on Wednesday. Behind the scenes there were already rumours for weeks that the British team wanted to get rid of the Australian's contract. The team was looking for solutions and finally found them. Oscar Piastri is said to be the most likely to replace Ricciardo, although it remains to be seen how the situation will develop.
While the team was in talks with Ricciardo about ending his contract, McLaren had already made arrangements with Piastri, according to various media. The team seemed confident that it could get rid of Ricciardo's contract and decided to look further.
Miscommunication with Alpine
Piastri already seemed to hint at a future collaboration with Mclaren. After Fernando Alonso's departure, Alpine assumed it could simply pass the talented driver on for the position next to Esteban Ocon, but Piastri threw his head into the sand.
It immediately sparked speculation that Piastri would be racing for McLaren in 2023. Reportedly, the news about Ricciardo will not take long before McLaren will announce that the Australian will succeed his compatriot.
Agreements with Alpine
However, Piastri and Alpine will first have to agree on the contractual situation. The French team is still convinced that it has the possibility to put the driver in the car next season, which is why it already threatened legal action.
However, Piastri claims that his current team has missed the end of July deadline. This would potentially mean that the commitment to the stable would not automatically continue and that Piastri would be free to move to McLaren. The next few weeks should tell how the situation will play out.