Formula 1: According to reports, Former Red Bull and F1 driver Mark Webber who is currently the owner of JAM Sports Management, the company that caters to Oscar Piastri is pushing for the young Australian to replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren. Follow Formula 1 and French GP LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
Talking in his post-race Notebook show, Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz said there are reports drifting around that Webber has prompted his client not to focus on Williams as the McLaren seat might be on offer.
“There are lots of rumours around as to why Oscar Piastri, the Alpine reserve, has not signed for Williams. Could the delay be that he and his manager Mark Webber are looking at potentially replacing Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?” Kravitz said after the Austrian Grand Prix.
“As every race goes by and points and performances fail to really come in for Daniel Ricciardo, maybe it looks more like, actually, McLaren will come in with a late offer for Oscar Piastri and nick him from under Williams’ nose and offer him Daniel Ricciardo’s seat for 2023,” Kravitz added.
“Obviously, that would leave Daniel Ricciardo maybe going to drive for McLaren somewhere else (in another racing series) or doing something else altogether. But yeah, good luck to Danny Ric as he continues to…well, as someone once said, drive to survive in Formula 1,” Kravitz concluded.
Piastri turned into a client of Webber’s company, JAM Sports Management, in March 2020 just before his Formula 3 debut. From that point forward, the 21-year-old’s stock has altogether ascended with title wins in both Formula 3 and Formula 2.
🏆 OSCAR PIASTRI 🏆
🏆 2021 FORMULA 2 CHAMPION 🏆#F2 #RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/2Uaf0VScGR
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) December 11, 2021
Tales have been coursing the entire year about an expected entry into Formula 1 for the young Australian, possibly replacing Nicholas Latifi at Williams or Fernando Alonso at Alpine. Meanwhile, Piastri is the reserve driver for Alpine.
There is a high possibility that Piastri might replace Ricciardo at McLaren after the Honey Badger has been going through a rough patch since he joined the team. Meanwhile, Ricciardo’s contract with McLaren is till the end of 2023, and is highly likely that the team would look in other directions apart from the former Renault driver.
Alpine have remained quiet about their arrangements for Piastri but talking before the Canadian Grand Prix in June, group head Otmar Szafnauer said he accepted Piastri would pull up a seat for the 2023 season.
“We don’t talk about the details of our contracts with the drivers, that’s something we never do. So as much as I’d like to tell you, I don’t think I can. But when I do say yes, that’s the plan,” Szafnauer said.
