At the FIA Press Conference held on 21.03.2024, Daniel Ricciardo, a driver for RB Formula 1, expressed his satisfaction with Oscar Piastri’s impressive performance at the Australian Grand Prix, referring to him as a “promising individual”. However, Ricciardo’s own performance was disappointing as he was eliminated in Q1 and could not improve beyond 12th place, continuing his streak of not scoring points this season. Despite this, Piastri managed to please Australian fans with a mature drive to fourth place, just one position behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who secured a podium finish. Piastri, who took Ricciardo’s place at McLaren last season, received praise from Ricciardo himself, indicating that there are no hard feelings between them and that he is pleased with his compatriot’s performance.
In addition, Ricciardo also admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience in Melbourne this time, in contrast to previous visits where he felt overwhelmed with media obligations. When asked if he was pleased to see Piastri score points, Ricciardo responded positively, stating: “Yes, he seems to be a favorite among Australians! No, I am happy. Speaking of the week, it was a very positive experience. Especially during my first year with Renault, I felt completely exhausted on Sunday, as if I had drained myself. However, this week was different. Even in 2022, when we returned after the Covid break, I had a lot of fun here. The same goes for this week. I do not attribute any of my below-par results over the weekend to distractions or excessive media appearances. I believe everyone was respectful and understanding of the work we have to do. The fans were fantastic. Although I didn’t manage to score points, Oscar achieved an impressive fourth place. He is a talented individual. The more time I spend with him, the more I appreciate him, and I am thrilled to see him succeed for Australia.”
Piastri was in third place when McLaren implemented a strategy to help him overtake Norris. However, the team decided to revert the positions through a team order. Despite missing the opportunity to become the first Australian to secure a podium finish in his home race, Piastri accepted McLaren’s decision as fair. He explained: “For me, it was completely justifiable. Lando qualified ahead of me yesterday, stayed out longer on track during the first pit stop, and was closing in on me, showing a better pace at that moment in the race. At that point, I was following Leclerc, and Lando was closing in on both of us, so I really expected him to overtake me and go after Charles. Of course, it would have been wonderful to stay in third place at home, but I believe their decision was fair.”
