In 2024, it was after a long time that two Australian drivers were racing on the grid — Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo. However, it did not last long as Ricciardo had to leave RB after the Singapore GP weekend. While the nature of his exit from F1 has been abrupt, many, including Piastri, have accepted the Honey Badger’s fate.
Piastri replaced Ricciardo at McLaren in 2023, but the two drivers have shared a good bond as fellow Aussie compatriots. The 23-year-old has often looked up to the former Red Bull race winner as his idol. Ricciardo’s exit could have also pressurized Piastri further, given he is the only Aussie on the grid now.
Piastri and Ricciardo are the current Aussies on the grid, but there’s been many of their fellow countrymen who have started past Grands Prix…
Who is your favourite Australian F1 driver? #F1 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/bfEMyYe6WD
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 19, 2024
However, the McLaren driver claims otherwise. Per Formule1.nl, he said, “I don’t feel any extra pressure. It’s sad of course that Daniel (Ricciardo, ed.) is no longer on the grid. He’s a great guy and someone I always looked up to. It’s a shame to see him go.”
Piastri has been excelling in his time at the Woking outfit and has made up for Ricciardo’s underperformance in 2021-22. The team is quite happy with the #81 driver’s showing this season, as he has won two Grands Prix and has consistently been on the podium.
Ricciardo’s form, meanwhile, had been very patchy which resulted in his sacking from RB. At one point, the eight-time race winner was looking to return to Red Bull and fulfill his “fairytale ending” dream to end his career at a top team.
However, the Austrian outfit instead thought that it would be wise to let go of the Honey Badger, given his form wasn’t good from their long-term perspective. They now want to bet on Liam Lawson’s potential and groom him as a candidate to partner with Max Verstappen.
Piastri feels that it’s a “part of the sport” that such decisions are made to prioritize the team’s future based on merit and performance rather than emotions. He feels Lawson has now got a “great opportunity” to prove his mettle in F1.
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson will replace Australian Daniel Ricciardo for the remaining six races of the Formula One season, racing for @visacashapprb️ ️
Congratulations, @LiamLawson30 #F1 pic.twitter.com/E8UcUtlfdt
— Sky Sport NZ (@skysportnz) September 26, 2024
As for Ricciardo, it seems like his F1 career has come to an end. At the age of 35, he is certainly not on the radar of F1 teams who seem to be preferring young talents like Lawson, Kimi Antonelli, and Oliver Bearman among others.
As things stand, Ricciardo’s best chance of extending his racing career lies in trying out other categories like NASCAR and IndyCar. However, Ricciardo has stated that he is unsure of whether he wants to go down that path.
