The F1 battle for a 2023 McLaren seat: Daniel Ricciardo vs Oscar Piastri

Seb Vettel retires. Fernando Alonso takes his seat. Alpine announces Aussie youngster Oscar Piastri will join Esteban as Fernando's replacement but it appears Oscar is more interested in joining McLaren. It's a right royal mess so what's going on? One things for sure, the F1 battle for McLaren's 2023 seat is between Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri. Two top blokes I know well but only one can drive for the British outfit. Here's the story.
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[@markpeter506]

I love Daniel as a driver and person, but at this point I’m more excited at the thought of a Lando Oscar pairing than seeing him in the McLaren again next year. I hope he does find a seat at another team if this all plays out, as it would be a real shame to see him leave the sport completely.

[@scottmeredith3359]

100%. Daniel has gone a long ways on his personality and popularity but if you take a cold view of him on performance alone, his Renault 2020 season was his only decent season since leaving RB. Sad to see it, but his McLaren time has been a disaster (even if you account for his Monza win).

[@jason78981]

just seems like it could have been done better,if zak browns not careful he will be in court on both sides of the world

[@IrrIdk]

As a Daniel fan I want him somewhere else… I mean it’s clear Mclaren isn’t working out, go find a car that suits you.

[@petat13]

I realised while watching this why I enjoy your commentary so much. I agree that no one is winning by delaying a formal announcement- whatever that might be. The continued silence from team management is bad for the sport of F1. Thanks for the balanced story Kim.

[@KymIllman]

You’re welcome

[@marcosdoyter7460]

The whole situation has been taking so long just because McLaren doesn't want to pay the contract penalty. So, they are using all their British dishonest skills to get Ricciardo out without paying the penalty.

[@samjones8155]

I reckon Danny should go back to Alpine because he know the engineers and pit crew already the chemistry’s there I believe he could do really well there.

[@Kessoku]

nope, team principal and team CEO is really different from back then

[@kak7440]

It's never the same going back. Don't think he will be happy there.

[@Space_math.engineer]

Rossi won’t want him back

[@jumbokevin]

We want Squirrel Irritable back at Alpine

[@master.ofnone]

If Daniel was to leave F1, I'd love for him to pursue the Triple Crown; after all, he is eligible, having one of the jewels (Monaco). Winning the other two would put him aside just Graham Hill as part of Motorsport royalty.

[@philipellington]

@Joe Brown 😹😹😹😹😹😹😹

[@snafu22]

@Joe Brown well he has won eight more races than lando so there is that……..actually has won more races than lando has podiums and seeing lando hasn’t won a single race you should probobaly be more concerned about that.

[@Danker19991]

@@snafu22 why would he be concerned? Daniel is the one leaving the sport, not Lando, and Lando is still younger than Daniel was in his rookie year. He has plenty of time to get those wins.

[@IrrIdk]

@@Danker19991 I mean f1 is all about if you got the car or not… I hope in the future lando gets a good car, and I hope Daniel can find a team with a better car(alpine is) that suits him best.

[@Danker19991]

@@IrrIdk Every team has highs and lows. Ferrari won last in 2007 and now they have the car to win a championship (even though they’re master 🅱️lan is screwing it as usual), I fully expect McLaren to have the same swing around. The difference is that Lando has the luxury of a lot more years to wait for that to happen, while Daniel has at best 2-3 years left in the sport.

[@MrDavekek]

"The car doesnt suit his style", oh god im tired of that excuse. If he really was so great as you claim he is, he should be able to adapt. Its not rocket science if youre a driver of that caliber.

[@yamakawa511]

This could work out well for Daniel. McLaren haven't been able to make the car suit his style (taking nothing away from Lando's excellent performances), he'll get a huge payout and a chance to prove himself elsewhere. I can't imagine he was enjoying things at McLaren given the lack of performance of the car generally and his inability to be up there with Lando week after week. Y

[@Warhaawk]

As much as I love Daniel as a driver & personality he has just not been worth his high salary price to McLaren. If another team does pick him up it most certainly will only by if he accepts a drop to his pay rate.

[@mamavswild]

Why does the excuse ALWAYS have to be ‘oh he just doesn’t have a car that suits his style’….I see something else…he’s dropped off. He is a professional race car driver. how different does a F1 car have to be that he is embarrassingly so far off the pace? As far as the mechanics of driving, these drivers are paid to adapt and he has had TWO YEARS’ OPPORTUNITY to provide feedback and…. nothing.

[@darthmatoro]

It is also a death sentence if he doesnt improve in alpine. It is basically saying to all the teams that he is washed

[@petat13]

I agree @yamakawa. It might just be the change he needs. I just wish it had been handled a bit more professionally by the teams. It’s bad for sport.

[@OMIIIIIIIIIII_]

@@mamavswild I feel it's a combination of not being able to adapt and his confidence being low too

[@rerdmann]

The one question I’m not seeing anyone ask is this: why is Piastri so hell-bent on not driving for Alpine? They’ve put all that time & effort (and money) into getting him ready for a seat? What happened that has soured him so much?

[@daviddries8676]

Could be he wasnt soured by Alpine and just bad timing. McLaren put 2023 seat on the table and at that moment it was the only seat he had. Everyone expected Alonso to do another year at Alpine. Imagine if Oscar said no to Mclaren deal... And then he ended up another season without a seat. Or if Alpine were gonna put him in a Williams, McLaren sounds better than that too, especially if Oscar has a multi year deal

[@allanlafontaine2587]

Oscar already deferred a year, and wasn’t expecting Alpine to have an available spot. He’s gone and made other plans.

[@Gl-my8fw]

If he didn't have a seat by August he wanted to negotiate elsewhere and ensure he actually got an f1 seat. They than announced it without permission

[@florisbackx1744]

The way I understand things went down: He was offered a seat at Williams by Alpine because they wanted to keep Alonso for one more year (2023) Piastri didn't like that too much so he signed with McLaren. Alonso on the other hand wanted a better deal then just one year but didn't have any other options until Seb suddenly announced his mid contract departure at Aston Martin. In reaction to sudden vacancy at Aston Martin Alsonso surprised everybody by going to Aston Martin where he would get a multi year contract, something Alpine didn't want to give him.. I bet that if Piastri knew he would get a seat at Alpine sooner he woud not have signed with McLaren. It all seemed like a good plan until..... Alonso pulled the rug under everyone's feet, as Alonso is known to do once in a while.

[@mako4874]

I think that they kept him waiting for a year and were about to make it two years were it not for Alonso leaving: had him over it. He is 21- only a year younger than lando who is on his fourth year. He needed to get into a car asap or he d miss his shot- as there are always the next year of young guns. Look at de vries who simply was on the sides for so long - he’s like 27! he’s been forgotten now for younger drivers

[@flaberdiss]

To some extent I hope daniel goes back to alpine

[@KymIllman]

I hope we don't lose him altogether

[@adrian3355w]

We shouldn't feel too sorry for Daniel - he has had a great career and will be paid a lot of money, no matter where he decides to go

[@KymIllman]

He will be OK for sure, what's baffling is McLaren's Insta post the other day featuring both drivers. Have a look at the comments. 90+% are negative and I can see why. Putting up a feel good post while not responding to the obvious drama with Daniel and Oscar beggars belief.

[@Nico-qt4qz]

@@KymIllman They are deflecting.

[@ivanjulian2532]

Daniel's only got himself to blame. At the end of the day he simply wasn't delivering the results.

[@thompanilla]

Excellent breakdown of everything going on, Kym. What's more, I appreciate your assertion re: the various motivations and the fact this is a business - something missed by the über-passionate fans out there looking for someone to blame, as you say. I've sent more than a few friends here now to explain what's going on so I don't have to! Cheers!

[@KymIllman]

Thanks for the referrals.

[@anthonyvittozzi9971]

I think I’m speaking for every Daniel ricciardo fan that we want him to have a set in f1 and even if it’s not for mclaren we will still see that smile at a different team.

[@KymIllman]

I hope so

[@alyssaaaa67]

The Ricciardo fans that are now hating on Piastri wouldn’t be Australian fans, they would be non-Australian ricciardo fans because us aussies love both piastri and Ricciardo!

[@Laz_Arus]

As an Aussie, I wish OP all the best. I also wish I had a voodoo doll in the likeness of Zak. That doll would by now look like a porcupine! 😠

[@Wedgetail96]

Speak for yourself champ.

[@kevinn1158]

Mclaren are looking like really low class bush league operators. They've been working on this for a long time. This doesn't happen over night. Danny staying with a back stabbing organization? I don't think so. I wouldn't blame Piastri. It's all on Mclaren. In the end, that Mclaren sucks. Even Lando went on and on about how difficult the car is. If I were Lando I wouldn't stay at Mclaren. I'd be aiming for Lewis' seat or Checks seat. Or even Carlos' seat.

[@stephenmeade8501]

It would be great to see Danny Ric get a multi-year contract at Alpine, to finish at the same time as Ocon's current contract. Let them both duke it out for further contract renewal...

[@dannysstart2218]

Ric won't sign for them, he left red bull because max became no1. now occon is the no1 and backed driver.. why would he want that? he didn't want it when he had a top car he's not guna want it when he's in a mid grid car?? their not going to change for a guy whose past his prime??

[@liukin95]

@@dannysstart2218 It doesn't matter where he goes from here, he's likely not going to be the backed driver whatever team he goes in. If he wants to stay in F1, he'll need to put his pride to one side, take it on the chin and prove his worth on and off the track.

[@dannysstart2218]

@@liukin95 true. think he will leave tbh

[@paulchatfeild-clarke1532]

​@@liukin95

[@paulchatfeild-clarke1532]

​@@dannysstart2218

[@Hechaldo]

McLaren is looking towards the future and Piastri is the future. Daniel had his chance and he's way behind his teammate in results. Cut your losses and move on.

[@mamavswild]

Agreed!

[@interstate366]

6:04 I get the feeling that Dan’s going to own that car at the end of all this

[@scottmeredith3359]

I follow all the major F1 media outlets and many other F1 pundits on KZbin... I gotta say, your content is fantastic. I find it amusing that an F1 photographer can put out a video on this situation that is at least as good (if not better) than the Race, Autosport, etc. Keep up the great content 👌

[@KymIllman]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[@snowblindoz]

"he'll work his bum off to prove Mclaren wrong" He's had 18 months to do that, if he needs something like this to provide the motivation, then Mclaren will have made the right choice regardless.

[@atharvashrikhande7902]

No No No..This is so not right..!! Daniel should stay in F1 😭❤️

[@LathropLdST]

Siiiip 🥤🥤🧃🧃 ☕☕

[@TayebMC]

even if he is not getting results?

[@TayebMC]

@Nic B He is one of the best paied drivers in the world. His team mate is getting results with the same car. If he is unable to drive the car he should go. What should Mclaren do build a new car arround Daniel (cost 100m +one year) which maybe he can't drive? Or find someone to drive the exsisting car.

[@raydriver7300]

At last! Someone I respect giving a logical, unbiased explanation of the current F1 driver silly season. Thanks you Kim 🌞

[@KymIllman]

my pleasure Ray

[@Lastname6955]

Everyone love Daniel. His personality is infectious in the teams he drives for. But sadly, if he's not done a good enough job, especially when McLaren pay him more than Lando, then it isn't sustainable for McLaren.

[@ilia_playzz]

Norris 20$ mil, Daniel 15$ mil

[@a.a.1245]

I dont love him. Dont care for him..

[@Lastname6955]

@A. A. Good for you

[@mamavswild]

I really don’t see what others do in him…he uses his over the top personality to cover flaws such as running away from fights and contract chasing which you have to be careful doing as a driver with no WDCs. I could forgive one of them as anomalous (RedBull, although I found it shady), but Renault? Renault was developing a car for him using millions when Ricciardo absolutely SHOCKED them. Because it was Daniel ppl were cool about it, but I wasn’t impressed and continue to be unimpressed

[@a.a.1245]

@@mamavswild thats the power of the smile. Ive also never bought it

[@andrewharvey8833]

The best and factual run down on the whole thing, brilliant, thanks heap’s

[@KymIllman]

Cheers

[@jaumegenaro7673]

My opinion is he should totally get that Alpine seat. He was phenomenal in the 2 years he spent at the team and a much better fit than McLaren. Granted Renault rebranded as Alpine and there have been major management changes, but nonetheless I think he'd perform much better there than where he's at currently. Of course Daniel has been repeatedly saying he wants to stay at McLaren, including on that Instagram story at 6:24, but that was from the week leading up to the French GP, before Vettel's retirement announcement and Alonso's announcement to replace Vettel, leaving that seat wide open, with Ricciardo as the favourite.

[@HowdieBowdie007]

I actually feel DR's insta post on his "2023 McLaren driving commitment" was to force McLaren's hand... shifty things clearly going on behind the scenes and the recurring whispers and comments about DR's place at McLaren forced his hand to comment about it. The question is... will OP be "allowed" to race LN?? I hope DR is offered a seat at Alpine... and they stick it to McLaren next year!🤭

[@Gl-my8fw]

Not like it is his choice at this point. If they want to replace him he can't do anything about it.

[@mamavswild]

Alpine has a wealth of young talent as choices who DIDN’T dump them at the last impossible second of the 2020 season, when the new car had been developed specifically to his wishes. He is a high risk/low reward option, and they would have to use ‘failure to adapt to car’ as his excuse for TWO YEARS’ WORTH of very poor performance…as a professional racing team they know that this excuse doesn’t excuse as much as his fans think it does.

[@jaumegenaro7673]

@@mamavswild Are you really saying Ric dumped Renault at the end of the season? Because that's just not true, let me remind you F1 2020's silly season started before they actually went racing. Ferrari dumped Vettel and signed Sainz, which meant Ricciardo signed for McLaren, all before they arrived to the (real) season opener at the Red Bull Ring.

[@shaunmckenna1923]

Very good all the fact loud and clear , as you say we just have to wait and see how it plays out , I would bet Daniel goes back to Alpine and I am sure he will do well , he has not forgotten how to drive .

[@Lewythefly]

Well said Kym, two great Aussie sportsman involved and you can't blame Oscar or his management for doing there best to get him in an F1 car next year

[@leongt1954]

Would like to see Dan back at Alpine he cleaned up Ocon in 2020 and will do it again if he goes back to Alpine, Thought there mite be things not right when I saw the McLaren pit crew laughing when Ricciardo ran into stroll last race

[@KymIllman]

I did not see that. Was that on the live broadcast?

[@leongt1954]

@@KymIllman Yes here in Aus on Foxtel

[@oappi4686]

If Ricardo gets Alpine seat I think that is probably best thing that happened for Ricardo in years. I never thought Mclaren was good place for him if he wanted to be world champion since it is really difficult to win it when teams engine manufacturer has respectable team of it's own. Adding to fact that he never got the car that suits his driving style and apparently Lando loves that type of car I think both are better off parting ways. Alpine on the otherhand makes their own engines, which have been decent enough and if they are able to build car around it I think they have huge potential. They did steal aston (formerly force india) team principal who got team to design absolute gems considering money they had. I bet Alonso got some sort of bonus for not telling alpine he is leaving because of the way former team principal left Aston.

[@briste842]

I remember Kym flippantly saying, like he knew for sure, that Piastri was gonna be in the alpine.

[@Drrolfski]

The suggestion of Ricciardo leaving F1 is unrealistic IMO, for two reasons: 1. It's the last thing Ricciardo wants atm. Giving up F1 now would feel for him like a defeat. Don't forget that this is a man that made all these F1 career moves because he genuinely believed it would give him his best shot at a WDC at some point. And while his WDC aspirations seem further away than ever, just giving up F1 altogether would be too big of a step now. 2. There's still plenty of interest in Ricciardo from the teams. Keep in mind that only 5 drivers had more F1 race wins in the past decade and only 3 of them will race in F1 next year. He is without a doubt one of the most successful drivers of his generation. And also one of the most marketable. Both his skills and brand value in F1 are simply too high atm to demote him to another sport.

[@deefred-perthartist]

Perth Oz represent 🤜🤛🇦🇺

[@Acebush99]

This is an excellent video, A level content

[@LozPez]

My Aussie heart right now 💔 love Daniel and Oscar, not their fault, they just want to drive in F1 - teams and management have created this chaos.

[@sudanc3951]

I just pray and hope this turn of events is to save Daniel's career. Not sure how, but when this plays out hopefully we get to see the honey 🍯 badger doing what we love to see him do in F1.

[@mato1943]

I believe dany leaving for alpine might be the best thing for him in mc laren ut will be just more pain in alpine he can show that its the car not driver and maybe even leave for red bull in 2024 if he stays who know if there will be any good seats left in 2024

[@7StevePrice]

Thankyou for a sensible reduction of this situation, At this point, your the only one!

[@KymIllman]

And happy to be that one

[@paulpanzer1038]

Btw. I read that Lando makes 20 mil per year and is the 3rd highest paid driver on the grid lol

[@hishers251]

Great rundown on things Kim. I can see Daniel going to Alpine, they are relatively competitive right now and he will bring the experience they need. Ocon, will reasonably fast lacks the depth of experience Daniel has, Alpine need an experienced and fast driver to bring points and keep Ocon on his toes.

[@MissMarquise]

^exactly

[@Petertjeehh]

Disclaimer up front: I'd might be proven wrong. I just feel Daniel left a scar at Alpine (Renault) back in the day. I get it, Abiteboul has left the team as principle, nevertheless, the team and management does not consist of one person. Second, a team and driver need to function and the relationship has to be 200% to extract maximal potential. Third, Daniel has proven to be sensitive with team-driver tension. Thus, I believe, Daniel unfortunately would not be a candidate to Alpine. If there are other opportunities I guess we'll have to wait and see. Until then, I'm not confident Daniel will be driving F1 in 2023. Daniel left a wound that has healed at Alpine. But the scar is still there.

[@Vabe7]

I'd love to see Daniel back at Alpine. Well, I would definitely not like to see him leave F1. Alpine are doing great now, so it couldn't even be considered as a step back

[@slevingaius]

When in doubt remember Daniel's helmet motto "f***'em all" and in the words of the internet "the honey badger don't give a ...." Sir I hope you will be able to catch light hearted photos of Daniel after the summer break with all the frenzy going on..

[@frenzybar7936]

What battle? Ricciado is running that seat to the ground and basically doing nothing with it! he tried, failed ..so give the youngster a chance!

[@openbabel]

OK this is a game of quisssage... Seb goes now Alonso moves to Aston martin for the rest of the season. Gasley goes to Alpine Albon to Toro Rosso Red Bull Williams gets peastrii

[@anettebianca6855]

Daniel is entertaining but unfortunately this is F1 and not Hollywood. He has some serious re-inventing on his cards if he wants to stay in F1. Love them both but Daniel is more focused on having a blast than racing. Bit him in the butt that one.

[@user-hardbrain]

Definitely agree. He may pursue Hollywood when he no longer gets an F1 seat. I also have a feeling that Lewis Hamilton may also pursue Hollywood when he retires.

[@isaacibarra6159]

Thanks for covering new topics Kym keep expanding

[@KymIllman]

sure

[@Guust_Flater]

Well....if Dani did better than Lando and had more points and results, he wouldn't be in this situation. Can only blame himself. Oscar is not to blame.

[@harkesh2023]

exactly. He did not even have to beat lando, he just had to be close to him, in terms of points. Since he could not do that, it makes sense that mclaren would want to drop him

[@oappi4686]

​@@harkesh2023 when Ricardo joined the team, he absolutely had to beat Lando considering how much they paid him. Agree that Oscar is not to blame though. Partnership just did not go as either of them wanted, and I think it is best not to continue forcing the matter. They clearly want to have car that does not suit Ricardo.. So why would Ricardo even want to have extra miserable season and not roll the dice and try to get Alpine deal. He left for reliability issues which are not nearly as bad now. Personally I think Alonso made bad move, there 4 teams ( mercedes, ferrari, redbull and alpine) who can design engine for the car, while rest have to design car for the engine and historically that has been pretty big deal.

[@harkesh2023]

@@oappi4686 I think alsono moved because he thought they were gonna replace him with piastri, only for piastri to later go to mclaren

[@thomaspiscioneri7917]

I’d love to see Riccardo stay but after Zak brown’s comments on Ric being slow in races, I get the feeling they are frustrated and lost communication. So I think Oscar is a possibility. I hope Ricc finds a spot if all this news is true

[@longfinger]

They're both wonderful young men. I'd hate for us to lose DR in F1. He is more than just a driver. He a spectacle and a great ambassador! Cheers Kym.. Great video. Jessica and I look forward to your YT vids every week! We watch them with dinner.

[@tinshlong]

Mark Webber and his mum did very well to get Piastri into mclaren. Hope Daniel goes somewhere he loved.

[@MissMarquise]

Without that level of desperation he'd already be at Alpine! ...pity people can't adopt the business qualities of Jackie Stewart and Ken Tyrrell; and no, times are not different.

[@I_Evo]

I suspect Flavio has had a hand in some of these machinations, at the very least the timing of the announcement of Alonso's move and how that may fits in with Piastri being able to sign for other teams.

[@sloppynyuszi]

Flav managed Webber once and still has his finger in Alonso’s management I think. If nothing else Webber’s move seems a lot like a Briatore inspired move. He was there at the French GP. It seems weird, I thought he wouldn’t be welcomed

[@Sim.L]

all in all Alonso gave Alpine the double bird by leaving on August 1st and letting Piastri's deadline expire after July 31st. what a fucking masterpiece. as for Danny Ric the cars not suited to him and McLaren were never gonna build the car in a different direction after seeing what Norris has done. its a shame dan couldn't get to grips with the car I would of love to see him carve up. I do think Alpine is where da should go he didn't do to bad when he was there last time, Ocon had nothing on Ricky Bobby.

[@SJamo88]

Great video with everything clearly explained & in depth. Subscribed! :)

[@KymIllman]

Thank you for that.

[@Housestationlive]

maybe daniele is devoted and hard-worker, but as you pointed its salary expectations are too high for interest anymore mclaren. at ferrari when the number one (vettel) came number 2 by not being quick enough, then team manager get rid of him.

[@SkywhiteChannel]

Wow, thank you captain obvious. That had zero new insight or original analysis.

[@paulsven7923]

The whole situation is crazy however Piastri's tweet would have been best left to his management

[@KymIllman]

There’s no doubt that would’ve come from his management team.

[@sporehux8344]

There was clearly some passive aggressive saltiness in that tweet, somebody wanted to stick it to Alpine. As Webber and Alonso are so close, Webber certainly dictated all or part of that tweet to Piastri.

[@SuperRoo_22]

@@KymIllman I would love to see Daniel try his hand at IndyCar. That's if the interest is there & he can get a drive. It seems like a better atmosphere than F1. I also find it more exciting & tighter racing. You really can't pick a winner in any given race. Unlike F1 where it is mainly six drivers from 3 teams always at the front. Then we'll hve 2 Aussie drivers Daniel & Will Power v the 2 Kiwis in Dixon & McLaughlin in the series. But I also read today where Rahal hve expressed an interest in Seb Vettel possibly racing for them if he's keen. Interesting times.

[@SaintKimbo]

Agreed huge mistake tweeting and embarrassing Alpine in that way. Piastri, Webber or whoever was responsible, have now possibly burnt the bridge to a Manufacturer supported F1 Team. Not the greatest achievement by anyone wanting a long career in F1, who hasn't even started a race yet. Piastri or his Team should have contacted Alpine privately and let them correct the announcement, instead they've given them the finger and shut a door on themselves that they may possibly need in the future.

[@Nico-qt4qz]

@@KymIllman Absolutely, he would of been instructed what to write.

[@CitySlicker828]

Are we getting a travel video back from Hungary to Perth? Been waiting all week!

[@EasyTarget892]

These cards may well have fallen into place no matter what, but when Alpine tried a power play announcing Oscar when there was no contract in place forced everyone's hands. As you said, it's a business - and Alpine took a chance at some shady business and the dominoes fell in an awkward way that didn't have to happen. My hope is Daniel takes the high road, works hard, and even helps Oscar in any way possible to prepare for next season. I'm sure he's disappointed in the plan, but his legacy doesn't need to be tainted by this. Be the ultimate professional, and good work having a solid 2023 contract in place.

[@brettjohnstone696]

I'd be happy for Oscar to either match or beat Lando in the same team, then for Ricciardo / Alpine to beat both drivers & Mclaren. Both DR & Alpine have something to prove against Mclaren. We'll soon see if DR & Alpine / Renault have a 2nd go together.

[@HeatherHotcakes]

I don’t think that your statement is fully accurate based on news releases. Alpine does have a contract with Oscar. Hence, his seat as their reserve driver this year. The existing contract had an option to keep him for the 2023 season. However, it’s been reported that this option had to be enacted by Aug 1st. Alpine made an assumption that the driver, whose career they funded, would accept the option regardless of the time expiration. They were wrong.

[@mamavswild]

@@brettjohnstone696 keep dreaming…why? Because you’re ticked that Ricciardo didn’t perform AT ALL in TWO YEARS at McLaren and somehow this is McLaren’s or Lando’s fault. I just can’t with Ric fans

[@mikeconnor3602]

I don't think they tried a power play, I think someone either missed or ignored as insignificant the 7/31/22 date in Oscar's contract. Alpine got blindsided by Alonzo's surprise move. I also think there is some behind the scenes political instability at Alpine, but I don't see how it could be any better with stroll at aston martin.

[@brettjohnstone696]

@@mamavswild 1.5 yrs you twat. I like Lando by the way. Nothing wrong with dreams my friend. Your AT ALL statement is wrong BTW, he won a race last year, remember.........or are you a pretend F1 fan?

[@jellojoe00]

Riccardo taking out Checo is all the proof you need that Daniel has lost his edge in F1. He probably has a long race career ahead still tho.

[@TA-wg9oi]

Reminds me of Norris taking out Gasly.....or is that inexperience.

[@cc569plus1]

I feel bad for Alpine. Oscar and his management had no trouble benefiting from the millions spent on his development, only to turn around and shaft Alpine. Say what you want, but that is a shit way to treat people. This from a McLaren fan from back in the 1980s. Hope the best for Daniel. Love Lando but hope McLaren struggles for the near future.

[@rickiecheese36]

This kind of thing has been happening for years in F1. Many people predicted that Danny Ric would be out of Mclaren because of poor results. Seb Vettel leaving and Fernando Alonso moving opened everything up. Danny Ric is good for F1 so I hope he gets the seat at Alpine and better results befitting his ability. Great summary Kim, thank for all the great videos.

[@snafu22]

so this has just been more clickbait with no information other than some way of filing content. thanks for wasting my time. wont be again.

[@8cervezas648]

Excellent. Well balanced and informed view. Goodun Kym!

[@KymIllman]

Many thanks

[@mattg9971]

I don't understand what you have seen that would indicate that "daniel would work his butt off" hes one of the slowest driver on the grid to adapt to new cars. Thats not a talent thing. Thats a repetition thing. Dudes a bum and dull.

[@mamavswild]

Agreed

[@benc3214]

Love to see Daniel rip it up at Alpine and beat both the McLarens. It’s clear he’s not feeling the love there, if not Alpine maybe Torro Rosso. I’d hate to see him leave F1 and as an Aussie It would be great to see Dan and Oscar lock horns on the track.

[@mamavswild]

Ah yes, “not feeling the love” is the perfect excuse for two years’ worth of poor performance

[@Goaltimer]

Marko won’t give him any of his four seats. Alpine, may offer a one year contract to see his performance if they will get him as good as for free. Williams may offer a seat but he will likely lose against Albon so I don’t think he will risk this option. Haas may hire a new driver but hard to tell who it will be. He might be out for good.

[@tomfurie2996]

Well said. Very evenhanded coverage, as expected from a true professional journalist.

[@KymIllman]

Cheers Tom

[@arlmobile7018]

Thank you! Thanks for being authentic in reporting such an important F1 issue for Aussie fans. 🤓

[@KymIllman]

Thanks for the thanks.

[@pietervanbreda4360]

I think DR days are numbered and his on his way like Seb , just blocking some talented drivers' future

[@f1drivermarket603]

Very well made video, Kym. Hope you do more of these deep dives in the future.

[@KymIllman]

Thanks

[@exa0247]

Sorry but It's time to go for Ricciardo, 2 years underperforming very badly, no excuses

[@murraywagnon1841]

If Daniel went back to Alpine/Renault would McLaren be paying his contract? Alpine might like that.

[@DarrinDinsbach]

Dear Kym, I see some instrument - I know you play piano. but do you also know how to the rest of instruments that are displayed in that room. Loving your vid's and pictures !

[@KymIllman]

Just piano but can hack around on guitar n drums

[@DarrinDinsbach]

@@KymIllman Nice , Multi-instru-mental 😃 - I can only do drums/percussion...

[@toddramos722]

You’re totally correct, Kym. The media is having a field day with this and I am enjoying the show!

[@KymIllman]

It's a car wreck huh .

[@Housestationlive]

@1:15 alpine's community manager just decided that piastri was hired xD

[@emiltomphilip8116]

I started watching f1 only because of Dany ric..love no 3 😘😘 hope he bags a world champion ship before he walks out of f1

[@Housestationlive]

like this type of analysis video not particularly related to an event where you was photographer at.

[@philipgray9155]

Very concise and balanced summary. At least it seems McLaren told Daniel they were letting him go before the Piastri shitstorm broke with Alpine. Can’t wait to see what the lawyers will make of it all and how everything eventually turns out. Unfortunately for some, their Summer break is not turning out as anticipated. For sure Daniel will not suffer financially no matter what, but the rest of the season is gonna be a real challenge for him.

[@jannag518]

I started following F1 bec of Daniel, i hope he still gets to drive f1 in a different team.. and prove everyone wrong.. wish him all the best.🙏

[@KymIllman]

Me too

[@Abhishek-qj2iz]

Alpine would be perfect for DR, but if they have even an ounce of self respect, they wouldn’t sign him or may be sign him for almost free

[@mamavswild]

I hope they don’t…sign the guy who left them in the lurch at the last moment? No way. I hope they have high enough standards not to accept that.

[@Housestationlive]

the same mark webber that pushed for ricciardo being the one to succced to him at red bull xD

[@VMVarga-yf6eg]

Well said. Daniel has done enough in the sport to deserve a little respect. For a big money sport the team executive conduct themselves poorly sometimes

[@KymIllman]

THey've left him hanging in this instance for far too long. Once that chatter is out there a team should quash it or confirm it quickly. Letting it fester is a poor strategy.

[@VMVarga-yf6eg]

@@KymIllman I think it is fair to say the management of McLaren over the last 10 years has been patchy. For a team wanting to play at the front failing at the 99%ters doesn’t bode well for the foreseeable future. They botched their engine supply and now it is the drivers. I will never forget how they blamed Honda for so long and then switched to Renault engines only to find themselves at the rear of the midfield. I always look for emerging patterns and I think there are patterns at the macro level of McLaren management. Whether it be Piastri or Norris who ends up second best in the team you at least now know not to expect any respect

[@mamavswild]

@@VMVarga-yf6eg no, I don’t think it is fair to say. What is fair is the massive trust McLaren put in Ricciardo and the patience they showed in him. He received two years’ worth of work where they went through his feedback and tried to provide him with everything to help him succeed…they are a race team not a charity and at some point the responsibility needs to lie SQUARELY where it’s supposed to…at Ricciardo’s feet.

[@charlesjmouse]

A very good summary, thanks. FWLIW: Unsurprisingly I like Dan, I even think there's an F1 championship in him in the right car. But he hasn't performed for McLaren and there's little sign that he will - I hope that's car specific and not because he's lost it. McLaren need to find a replacement who will hopefully perform. That's life, I feel sorry for Dan but only an idiot would blame Oscar for this if he turns out to be that replacement. I hope Mark Webber is giving Oscar Piastri good advice. Talented though he may be this is the kind of situation where he may find his F1 career is over before it begins.

[@cdeppracing216]

Daniel's problem is he went to the Alonso School of Bad Career Choices

[@matthewstaten5683]

I don't understand the "I feel sorry for Danny Ric" thoughts as he's done this himself to Red Bull and Renault. The bottom line is he hasn't produced and I'm sure Zak Brown is getting heat from his boars. Just like in real life if you don't perform at your job you get fired and I don't think there going to send you away with 20+ million. I like Danny Ric but none of this wouldn't be happening if he performed in the car. Sometimes you just need to look in the mirror Instead of pointing a finger elsewhere for blame.

[@doicounttoo6861]

Zac Brown stated that only Danny could break the contract; there is no performance clause. Even in real life, without that performance clause, you are entitled on that 20+ million. I do think that the negotiations will be about how much of the earnings from a new team can be deducted from the 20+.

[@Nico-qt4qz]

@@doicounttoo6861 Danny is on 15 million not 20.

[@doicounttoo6861]

@@Nico-qt4qz I know, but everywhere they are talking about 20-25M which leads me to believe there may be some extra's on top of his driver's salary.

[@nyrmetros]

F1 and IndyCar driver contracts have a lot in common these days. Would love to see Danny in IndyCar but I don't see him doing that.

[@ezadviper]

Kinda sad to see both former redbull driver leave by year end

[@mikeconnor3602]

This type of jockeying happens in all sports. All one needs to do it looks at the Laker's underperforming Russell Westbrook as a comparison. This happens all the time in the corporate environment, you don't perform and miss goals you're gone. I am repeatedly hearing people feeling sorry for Daniel, but he isn't performing up to Lando in the same equipment which to me is a key indicator that Daniel might have lost a 'step'. He could be the nicest guy in the world but that is irrelevant. I see him on a one year contract with Williams but he better perform better than his team partner.

[@bflippsytrance]

I really don't think I know enough about the Alpine Piastri relationship, but I do think they had a fair assumption of loyalty of a driver that they were involved with in the rise of his career. But it sounds to me no matter Vettel leaving or Alonso making a jump, that Piastri and McLaren were already talking about the deal, and Ricciardo would be out no matter what. It is very sour for Alpine to see their protege jump ship before they could have had any results from him in F1, but then again, it didn't sound they would be willing to part with Alonso, and they could have done the same with Ocon that McLaren did with Ricciardo, altho it's not very classy, that has to be said. This move is entirely the surprise it is because McLaren moved to break with Ricciardo early.

[@kenwilliams5521]

Thanks Kym a clear and concise explanation of the lay of the land.

[@KymIllman]

Cheers Ken

[@apophisstr6719]

Oscar pairing with Lando is gonna be very tense, I strongly bet these two won't get along well even if they're not the winning team.

[@velvetjones1856]

As much as Daniel likes the US, it seems like an IndyCar ride could be an alternative for him. It might not pay as much but he could be in a competitive car and actually win some races. Look at Grosjean and Rossi success here after not doing well in F1.

[@CalebHemphill24]

Um grosjean was actually good at time in F1

[@user-hardbrain]

Marcus Ericsson is also a former F1 driver that did not do well and is also now successful at Indycar.

[@mamavswild]

I’m an American IndyCar fan and have been for over 40 years. It always amazes me when young F1 fans from across the pond, who don’t don’t anything about how Indy works; thinks that they know what ‘successful’ in Indy is. Indy is a spec series that equalizes all other factors out to ensure that drivers are judged on pure skill/merit. It runs on ovals, street circuits and specialized racing circuits…they DO turn right, and often. They do short races and long races and the occasional 500 lapper…but most importantly, the podium on any given race will be completely DIFFERENT than the previous podium. In F1, there are about 6 drivers that realistically have a shot at a podium, less for a win…anything else and something crazy happened at that race. In Indy, the podiums and winners change radically and are different week to week. Because you see that someone has won a race, it doesn’t make them ‘successful’ in Indy, although Ericsson is definitely improving. The toughest shocker for F1 fans to accept is that Formula 1 drivers who move into Indy, traditionally have had a statistically MIXED bag of results and are no more likely than professional Indy drivers to be successful. There is an argument that is valid, and that is, ‘F1 isn’t exactly sending Indy their best and brightest’. Sure. That’s a factor. But struggling in F1 can also be due to other factors such as poor timing, bad luck and bad choices with contracts, as well as political reasons that all contribute to a shaken confidence level in the driver. But of course; that argument is still valid…if you put Alonso, Verstappen, Hamilton, Russel, LeClerc and Lando in an Indy season, it would certainly be interesting.

[@titchlilly1294]

Damon Hill will know how Danny Ric must feel, Hill was however treated far worse and was replaced by a driver who got the flick two years later.

[@mignoncronje346]

I've lost all confidence in McLaren the car and management. Take note Lando!!

[@2secondslater]

I'm quite sure the Renault team was in the dumps under Abiteboul's management and morale was very low, thus Daniel leaving. With Abiteboul gone I should think Daniel would be high on their list for a seat if he wants to return to them.

[@KymIllman]

Not sure how stable the Alpine management is following the events of last week. More to come there perhaps.

[@2secondslater]

@@KymIllman yeh, I agree they don't look too stable or even smart at this point, I think they were caught out by the wiley ol' fox, Alonso, jumping the fence after not getting a multi year deal offer. I think Piastri and his management would have been putting the feelers out for a while and looking for a drive with other teams, because in all honesty, who knew that Alonso was going to bail?

[@joeparvana9549]

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Alpine puts so much into Oscar and then he jumps to Mclaren. Bad karma

[@kak7440]

Kym you summed it up perfectly. It's a bit of a PR disaster. Personally l sadly think Daniel's best days are behind him and he has been shown up by a younger driver. I'm not sure Daniel is that committed - you don't see him putting in the work in the MTC like Lando. Mc Laren need 2 drivers for the constructors championship and his results are seriously underwhelming. Daniel is such a likeable guy - he has many alternative options outside of the sport and will get a massive payout any which way.

[@michaelm.6043]

Daniel #1 - go to Alpine stay in the Show ! # 2 - Indy Car he an Roman can from the F1 Drivers Club ( don’t know how Daniel and Roman actually get along but could you imagine the podcasts of them cruising the USA in their respective motor homes 😉) #3 - D Ric. In #3 drives both Indy Car and NASCAR ! 🤯💥🧨

[@marcosdoyter7460]

In 2010, Ferrari had the dignity to pay 21 Million to Raikonnen so they could replace him for Alonso. McLaren should do the same and stop with this shitty game. Dignity is not something that can be found in F1. But, come on, McLaren, you signed the contract and this mind game to make Ricciardo give up did not work.

[@Wedgetail96]

Thank you Mr Illman, for yet another informative yet balanced video. Such a shame so many of the comments below seem to be from I’ll informed fans who have been consuming the Cool Aide from the British media. That being the suggestion that DR3 has lost his talent which of course releases Mclaren from any part they are playing in his current on track form.

[@KymIllman]

What is the British press saying?

[@benjaminwalsh9057]

Big Daniel fan for a while now but you cant blame Oscar. Its fair game and best of luck to him next season! I just hope Daniel gets another seat somewhere for next year and we get another season of him in F1!

[@BAMX92]

You could absolutely blame Oscar. Back stabbing a team that invested millions in his career and supported him in the junior categories. This certainly won't go unnoticed among the other teams. Buring bridges early in his career.

[@benjaminwalsh9057]

@@BAMX92 ah yeah sorry I mean in regards to Kym’s comments about Daniels fans targeting Oscar.

[@mamavswild]

@@BAMX92 This is literally what Daniel did…..TWICE….Danny fans targeting in all directions and even death threats to lando AND his girlfriend on social media…real classy ‘Danny Ric’ fans

[@78drea]

@@BAMX92 They wouldn't commit to him, would they? They wanted Alonso in this seat, not him. They also knew he was looking. Another year on the sidelines would have been bad and he had to look out for himself. No team would hold that against him, I'm sure he's not hurting his reputation at all. It was the smart thing to do. The teams at the end of the day look out for the team - and the hundreds of people in the backround. The drivers look out for themselves. But even they are just employees. There is a bigger picture.

[@camf7522]

Let Daniel drive for Alpine for $1, and make McLaren pay the rest of the $20M plus performance bonuses!

[@Nico-qt4qz]

Lando is earning more than Daniel . He is on $20 million while Daniel is on $15million.