A Peek Into Daniel Ricciardo’s Mind Before Defeating Oscar Piastri: “Did They Really Need to Replace Me With This Guy?”

Despite them being fellow countrymen, there has always been an air of tension between Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri. The number one cause behind the same stands as the environment within McLaren that led to Ricciardo having to move away from the team and allow Piastri to take up his seat. Ever since, the Woking-based team has been on a steady path to the top of the F1 mound, with many claiming Ricciardo was the problem in the team.

 

Amid their ongoing tension, the duo locked horns with each other during the sprint session in Sao Paulo, engaging in a fiery battle for P9. The 24-lap race saw Ricciardo emerge victorious in the battle with his McLaren successor, marking a crucial moment in Ricciardo’s path back to the top while seeking vengeance for how things unraveled between him and McLaren. Noticing the same, Veteran F1 Journalist and Analyst Peter Windsor pointed out the emotional importance of the win in a video on his official YouTube channel.

“There’s no doubt Daniel would’ve been thinking, subconsciously, somewhere down there, ‘this is the guy that, you know, replaced me at McLaren. Am I that slow compared with him? Did they really need to replace me with this guy?'”

Having pointed out the weight of the emotional battle, Windsor shone a light on the near poetic justice-like nature of the win for Ricciardo. Despite only finishing in ninth, the veteran Australian driver showcased the best of his driving skills, foreshadowing a far superior McLaren in an AlphaTauri.

Daniel Ricciardo on track to register one of F1’s greatest comeback stories

When F1 made a stop in Mexico City, little did anyone expect what Ricciardo would go on to achieve in an AlphaTauri car. The 34-year-old qualified for the feature race in P4, ahead of Sergio Perez (P5) and his Red Bull. Finishing the race in P7, the whole weekend was a morale booster for the Australian, who has one eye on taking back his Red Bull seat from Perez.

With an impressive drive in Mexico, even Christian Horner could not stop himself from praising the Australian driver, who achieved an unthinkable feat for AlphaTauri. Much of what he achieved in Mexico came because of Ricciardo’s driving style.

Preferring a late braking approach, Ricciardo tackles a corner in the famous ‘V-style’ rotation maneuver. The engineers took note of it and set up their car in a way that suited Ricciardo’s turning sequence. As a result, the 34-year-old was able to achieve a strong finish. Having wanted to move away from the style when driving for McLaren, Ricciardo never got the support from his team to set up the car differently. As a result, the Australian was left trying to pull maneuvers the car couldn’t handle, which often ended in disaster for the team. Eventually, it came to a point where both parties saw it best to go their own separate ways.