Australian drivers in F1 have been a rarity. Yet, the nation Down Under has given us some world-class drivers. When Daniel Ricciardo made his mark in F1 in 2014, he hoped to become the 3rd world champion from Australia. But, the way his career has shaped, the elusive title still seems distant for the Honey Badger. His career’s downward spiral has been so bad that the last Aussie world champion heavily criticized Daniel.

Ricciardo won’t be on the grid in 2023 and will be a reserve driver for his former team Red Bull. Looking at his dire circumstances, F1 veteran Alan Jones expressed his confusion over Daniel’s situation.

In an exclusive interview with Wide World of Sports, Jones said, “In one word, disastrous. There’s no other way to describe it [Daniel Ricciardo’s situation]. I’m a bit bemused by the whole situation, to be honest with you.”

“Daniel [Ricciardo] is a really good race driver, but I’m of the opinion that a race driver should be able to hop into anything and drive it.” It surprised the 1980 world champion at Ricciardo’s fruitless attempts to adapt to McLaren’s car in 2 years. While Jones said how each driver’s ability differs, he was surprised to witness that Daniel is lacking this adaptability.

Alan further added, “But in the old days Formula 1 drivers were invited to drive touring cars, or sports cars, you couldn’t just hop into one and say, ‘Well sorry, I can’t get to grips with it.’ You wouldn’t last too long.”

Jones may have been ruthless to shove this worrying reality down Ricciardo’s throat. But, he ain’t wrong if Ricciardo aspires to be an F1 champion. Adapting to different cars is crucial for his success in becoming the next Australian world champion.

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Daniel’s absence from the grid does not deprive F1 of an Aussie driver. His replacement at McLaren, Oscar Piastri, is another talented and highly-rated rookie in the paddock. If Ricciardo’s career stays halted, for now, he may have passed on some insights to Oscar for his start in F1.

Can Oscar Piastri be the ideal replacement for Daniel Ricciardo?

McLaren has somehow managed to snatch Piastri from Alpine’s grasp. Though, now they too will be worried if the rookie can perform better than his fellow countryman, who is an 8-time race winner.

It won’t be easy for the 2021 F2 champion to get to grips with McLaren’s car. Given that Piastri will be driving in F1 for the first time; he is on a double-edged sword. While he may struggle initially to get familiar with an F1 car; he also has the weight of expectations on his shoulders.

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Many expect him to outperform Ricciardo’s level of performance right away and match Lando Norris. This may be an overly optimistic expectation. But, the manner in which Piastri too ditched Alpine to sign up for McLaren there will be a lot of eyes on his performances despite being a rookie.

The Melbourne-born still has amazing credentials to justify his decision and the expectations from him. Dominating the junior categories before entering F1 is always a fantastic sign of a promising world-class driver. And Oscar has done it; so he may be a positive upgrade over Daniel Ricciardo, as the papaya team expects.

WATCH THIS STORY: How did McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo-Oscar Piastri Saga go down?

Ricciardo might also have a watch on his fellow Aussie’s performance. Though he has got bigger fish to fry, in terms of his comeback and career revival. Still, do you think Piastri has taken the Australian baton from Ricciardo in F1?