In August 2024, Nicole Piastri shared the emotional moment when her son, Oscar Piastri, informed her that he would be driving for McLaren in the 2023 Formula 1 season. What started as joy quickly shifted into surprise once she understood her son would be replacing fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo. This revelation came during a podcast conversation where Nicole detailed the unfolding of events.
Oscar had long been anticipated to secure a race seat in Formula 1 for 2023, with many expecting him to join Alpine, especially since the French team publicly announced his signing before he himself denied it on social media. Instead, Piastri’s career took an unexpected turn when he joined McLaren alongside Lando Norris, stepping into the seat previously occupied by Ricciardo.
The Moment Oscar Shared the News of Joining McLaren
Nicole recounted the conversation when Oscar broke the news during a video call. Initially cautious, he asked if anyone else could hear the news before saying:
“I just wanted to tell you that I’ve just signed my first F1 contract,”
Nicole’s immediate reaction was excitement mixed with curiosity about the team‘s colors:
“I was like, ‘oh my god, oh my god!’ ‘So what color are we wearing, are we wearing like navy and pink?’, because I’m thinking Alpine.”
Her assumption about Alpine was natural, given that Oscar had been part of their driver academy and the team seemed the obvious destination. However, Oscar quickly corrected her.
“Like what, what color are you wearing?’, and he’s like, ‘orange’. And I was like ‘oh my god, McLaren. Oh my god that’s amazing, that’s amazing!'”
Even as Nicole celebrated the move to McLaren, the excitement was tempered by the realization of what this meant for Ricciardo.
“Then it dawned on me what that meant, and I was like ‘oh no, oh no wait’, and he’s nodding,” she continued.
“And I said ‘Oh my god, Daniel, I love Daniel’, and he’s just deadpan, he was like ‘yep, everybody loves Daniel.'”
The Challenges and Changes for Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren
Daniel Ricciardo had joined McLaren in 2021 after two seasons with Renault, but his performance at Woking did not meet expectations. His struggles resulted in McLaren replacing him with Oscar Piastri in 2023. Following this, Ricciardo returned to the Red Bull team as a reserve driver, marking a shift in his Formula 1 career.
Oscar’s Perspective on Replacing a Popular Teammate
Nicole also shared Oscar’s feelings about stepping into Ricciardo’s place, revealing that he was aware of the challenge this posed. During the podcast, she recalled her son’s candid words about the situation:
“Of all the F1 drivers to be replacing, ever, Daniel is the worst one to be replacing.”
Despite the pressure, Oscar Piastri has performed impressively since taking over the McLaren seat. At just 24 years old, he has secured seven Formula 1 race victories and is currently leading the 2025 drivers‘ championship halfway through the season, outshining Ricciardo’s time at the team.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Oscar Piastri’s family rich?
A. Oscar’s dad, Chris Piastri, helped start HP Tuners, a top company in car software worth about $35 billion. This company greatly supported Oscar’s racing dreams, providing roughly $6.5 million to help him get into Formula 1.