The F1 2022 season was a frustrating year for Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian struggled to live up to his expectations and McLaren’s. With the 33-year-old having failed to deliver, he confirmed during the 2022 summer break that he would not be driving for McLaren from the 2023 season onwards.
However, little did he know about what was happening behind the scenes with the team. McLaren was involved in a heated legal battle with Alpine to sign 21-year-old Oscar Piastri.
Season 5 of Netflix’s Drive to Survive reveals the behind-the-scenes moments of the legal battle between Alpine and McLaren and shares Ricciardo’s heartbreak. The Australian reveals how he was only informed of the team’s decision during the summer break.
When was Daniel Ricciardo made aware of his replacement?
Episode six of Drive to Survive season 5, ‘Nice Guys Finish Last,’ navigates through the struggles Daniel Ricciardo faced in the 2022 season and how McLaren found a replacement for the Australian.
The episode begins with the 33-year-old informing his fans that he will not drive for McLaren from the 2023 season onwards. “2022 will be my last year with McLaren. We put in a lot of effort from both sides, but it hasn’t worked how we wanted. I think for the future what lies ahead, I’m not sure yet,” said Ricciardo in an emotional video message.
The very next clip shows Oscar Piastri revealing that he would drive for McLaren from the 2023 season onwards. The focus then shifts back to Ricciardo. The Australian is scheduled to appear at his first press conference since the news was relayed to the public.
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Just before the presser is about to begin, Sergio Perez asks Ricciardo when he was made aware of the same. The Australian tells Perez he was informed about McLaren’s decision during the summer break.
After Ricciardo failed to secure a seat for the 2023 season elsewhere as well, he finally decided to return to Red Bull Racing as a reserve driver.
While the Australian has not won a championship yet, he still has an extremely strong career. The 33-year-old has won eight races and has finished on the podium on 32 occasions.
With him having so much experience, many were surprised that things did not work out for him at McLaren. Ricciardo finished a disappointing 11th in the championship with just 37 points, a whopping 85 points behind his teammate, Lando Norris (122).
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Oscar Piastri’s contract saga
Another major theme that emerged alongside Daniel Ricciardo’s downfall at McLaren was the contract saga involving Oscar Piastri. Piastri spent the 2021 season with Alpine as a reserve driver, and the French team had gone on social media to confirm that the 21-year-old would drive for them in the 2023 season.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the young Australian declined to have made any such deal with Alpine. A few days later, it was confirmed that Piastri would join McLaren as their second driver alongside Lando Norris.
Episode 6 of Drive to Survive showcases how Alpine’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer was left fuming due to Piastri’s ‘betrayal’. Szafnauer could not believe the lack of loyalty shown by Piastri after everything Alpine had done for him.
As a result, later in the episode, the Alpine boss was shown storming into McLaren team principal Zak Brown’s office and threatening him with a legal battle.
The episode ends with Szafnauer clarifying to Brown that Alpine had invested immense resources to develop Piastri. As per the Australian contract with the team, the 21-year-old would need to pay them a whopping $5 million.
