In 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.” Ricciardo’s own performance, however, was disappointing as he was eliminated in Q1 and failed to improve beyond 12th place, continuing his streak of not earning any points this season. Despite this, Piastri managed to please the Australian fans with a mature drive to fourth place, just one spot behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who secured a podium finish. Piastri, who took over Ricciardo’s spot at McLaren last season, received praise from Ricciardo himself, indicating that there are no hard feelings between them and that he is content with his fellow countryman’s performance.
Furthermore, Ricciardo also admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience in Melbourne this time around, in contrast to previous visits when he felt overwhelmed by media obligations. When asked if he was pleased to see Piastri earn points, Ricciardo responded positively, stating, “Yes, it seems to be a favorite among Australians! No, I’m happy. Speaking of the week, it was a really positive experience. Particularly during my first year with Renault, I felt completely drained by Sunday, as if I had exhausted myself. However, this week was different. Even in 2022, when we returned after the Covid break, I had a great time here. The same goes for this week. I don’t attribute any of my less-than-stellar weekend results to distractions or excessive media appearances. I believe everyone was respectful and understanding of the work we have to do. The crowd was fantastic. While I couldn’t secure any points, Oscar achieved an impressive top-four finish. He’s a talented individual. The more time I spend with him, the more I appreciate him, and I’m thrilled to see him succeed for Australia.”
Piastri was running in third place when McLaren implemented a strategy to help him undercut Norris. However, the team then decided to reverse the positions through a team order. Despite missing out on the opportunity to be the first Australian to secure a podium finish at their 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 during the first pit stop, and was catching up to me, demonstrating better pace at that point in the race. At that moment, I was keeping up with Leclerc, and Lando was closing in on both of us, so I was actually hoping he would overtake me and go after Charles. Of course, it would have been wonderful to remain in third place at home, but I believe their decision was fair.”