Daniel Ricciardo posts for first time since ugly Oscar Piastri saga
Aussie F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has done his best to ignore the talk of the motorsport world after posting a photo of himself enjoying his holiday without mentioning the drama involving Oscar Piastri.
Piastri sent Formula One into a spin last week when he announced he would not be driving for Alpine next year, despite the motorsport team appearing to announce he would be elevated to a driving seat.
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Alpine supported the young Melbourne driver's junior career as he won F3 and F2 championships in 2020 and 2021, but were also hit with a double blow as Fernando Alonso jumped ship to Aston Martin.
Piastri's decision sparked speculation that he could be on his way to McLaren.
This would see him replace veteran driver Ricciardo as the second driver in the team.
McLaren have both Ricciardo and Lando Norris under contract for 2023, with the British team likely to have to pay out the remainder of the underperforming Ricciardo's contract if they decide to pursue other options.
Regardless of the reports, Ricciardo has been praised for how he has dealt with the drama.
And Ricciardo remained his upbeat self and appeared to ignore the swirling speculation while on holiday.
The Australian posted a photo of himself from what appeared to be his California base with the caption: 'Hello'.
Ricciardo was clearly enjoying his time in the sun.
Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren drama
Ricciardo has a contract until the end of 2023 and recently indicated he had no intention of leaving the team, where he was determined to see out the deal.
If his exit from McLaren is to be confirmed, it looks as though the team will have to agree to pay the Aussie driver out of his contract in order for him to walk away at the end of the season.
The 33-year-old was signed from Renault at the end of 2020 but, apart from winning last year's Italian Grand Prix against the odds, has failed to live up to expectations at the former champions.
Ricciardo has battled through a tough year with McLaren in 2022 sitting at 12th in the championship ladder.
He has picked up four Top-10 finishes and sits on 19 points.
His last Top 10 finish was at the French GP where he came in at ninth.
Regardless of the speculation, Ricciardo has been praised for how he has dealt with the all encompassing drama.
The saga started when Alpine announced Piastri as their 2023 driver, but the announcement was quickly rejected from the Aussie.
"I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year," Piastri said in a statement that promptly went viral.
"This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year."
Adding to the intrigue, Alpine's team principal this week commented on the possibility of Ricciardo returning to the French team - which was formerly known as Renault.
with AAP
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