F1 News
Mark Webber looks back: 'Right that McLaren pushed Ricciardo aside'
- Ludo van Denderen
Eighteen drivers from Australia managed to make it to Formula 1; some more successful than others. Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo are even among the select group of Grand Prix winners from Down Under.
Mark Webber is currently the manager of Oscar Piastri. The Australian is currently causing a furore at McLaren. He replaced Ricciardo at the British team at the start of the season, who had hit a dead end. Speaking to the English magazine GP Racing, Webber looks back at that period when Piastri put his compatriot out of work.
'Piastri didn't have many choices'
"Of course, Daniel had a very tough time," Webber said. "And if it wasn't Oscar replacing Daniel, it was someone else. Oscar said at the time, of course, [taking a seat from] his fellow Australian it's... there's not many of us to have raced in F1. But what can you say? I mean... it was McLaren's decision, and in the end, the right one."
Webber says Piastri - who was Alpine's test and reserve driver for a year and therefore not in competitive action - was ready for Formula One. "And people thought we had a lot of choices. We didn't, actually. And McLaren were fantastic. They were very clear, and Oscar just loved that. 'OK, here's someone that really wants me'. An easy decision."