Why Oscar Piastri was cleared to race for McLaren in Formula One, Mark Webber apologises to Daniel Ricciardo

Highly-rated Formula One rookie, Aussie ace Oscar Piastri, is confirmed to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren as his manager and former F1 racer Mark Webber meets Daniel Ricciardo — whose racing future remains unclear — at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri will replace fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo at the McLaren Formula One team after a failed behind-the-scenes contract challenge by the Alpine team that groomed the young gun over the past three years.

The French team had invested millions in the young Australian and supported him through its Junior Academy in the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 championships — which Piastri won in back-to-back seasons over the past two years.

But in a stunning blow to Alpine, it lost out in a hearing before Formula One’s Contract Recognition Board as it gave Piastri the all-clear to race for McLaren.

Alpine will also reportedly be required to pay legal fees of more than $500,000, including Piastri’s costs.

The situation was clarified during the Dutch Grand Prix meeting last weekend, as Ricciardo reported his first face-to-face meeting with former F1 driver Mark Webber, who Piastri’s manager – and the third Australian in the saga.

“It was obviously nice to speak to him. He feels really bad, obviously, [in] how it’s gone down and obviously how things have been put out there in the media,” Riccciardo told the British broadcaster, Channel 4.

“I feel he didn’t need to, but he felt like he wanted to, in a way, apologise and try to just see how I’m doing.

“Obviously I know how this sport is: it’s nothing personal to me. And he wanted to make sure that I knew that and understood that. And just to make sure that I felt okay.”

One of the potential moves for Ricciardo to continue on next year’s Grand Prix grid, a return to Alpine — where he raced when it was badged as Renault — has probably closed with Pierre Gasly now strongly rumoured to be moving across from AlphaTauri to join Esteban Ocon for 2023.

Ricciardo’s only potential chances to continue his Formula One career now appear to be at the lowly Haas and Williams teams despite being an eight-time Grand Prix winner.

He was out-qualified and out-raced again at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend by his McLaren team mate Lando Norris, finishing a lowly 17th while Norris ran home seventh.

While Ricciardo is still battling, Piastri was able to celebrate his graduation to Formula One.

“I am super-excited to be joining the grid and with such a prestigious team like McLaren. I have no doubt it’s a great place to start my career. It’s been a long road up until this point,” he said on social media.

“I’ve been racing for 12 years and this was my dream from the very beginning. So I just want to thank everybody who supported me throughout my journey, including my colleagues at Alpine for the past few years.”

Alpine appears to have dropped its earlier threat of legal action to recover its multi-million-dollar investment in Piastri, including the cost of a series of Formula One test days this year, with a brief announcement.

“BWT Alpine F1 Team thanks the Contract Recognition Board (CRB) . . . and we acknowledge the decision they have made,” Alpine said in an official team statement.

“We consider the matter closed on our side and will announce our full 2023 driver line-up in due course.”

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