‘Look-a-like’: Oscar Piastri reveals truth behind Daniel Ricciardo photo

The F1 world was sent into a tizzy during the off-season when Oscar Piastri was snapped in Melbourne seemingly with Daniel Ricciardo.

Oscar Piastri has revealed the truth about that photo. Photo: Getty Images and Reddit

Eagle-eyed F1 fans believed they spotted a blossoming friendship between rookie Oscar Piastri and the man who’s seat he usurped in Daniel Ricciardo, but they may want to go get their eyes checked.

In January, a Reddit user named AidenBuckleugh posted a photo which appeared to show Piastri and Ricciardo driving together in the youngster’s new McLaren. It has since been deleted.

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While the pic wasn’t perfectly clear, it certainly to look a lot like Ricciardo.

But the 21-year-old Melburnian has revealed that it wasn’t actually the man he replaced.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports’ Jess Yates, Piastri revealed the pair were not quite as chummy as had been made out.

“It wasn’t actually Daniel, it was one of my friends,” Piastri said.

Yates replied: “Oh, it was a Daniel look-a-like.”

Turns out it wasn't Daniel Ricciardo in the passenger seat. Photo: Reddit

Piastri: “It was a Daniel look-a-like, yeah. It was a pretty blurry photo but it was quite entertaining looking at those photos but no it wasn’t Daniel.”

Yates moved along quickly, asking what Piastri’s relationship was like with Ricciardo.

While Ricciardo had long spoken about how there were no hard feelings, Piastri revealed there wasn’t much of a relationship between the pair.

“(Had Ricciardo offered any advice) Not really, we obviously got in touch after everything that unfolded last year and he’s been very supportive both to me personally and in the media, which I’m very thankful for,” Piastri said.

“There’s not really been much more than that and I don’t really think there needs to be much more than that. I’ll see him around, obviously he’s back at Red Bull and working with them so I’m sure I’ll see him around the paddock sometime soon.”

Piastri said he was most looking forward to getting back on track after a full year out from behind the wheel and was keen to experience the “circus” of F1.

Piastri and his manager and former Red Bull driver Mark Webber had been working behind the scenes to get the youngster into the best seat he could.

As Alpine long seemed set to keep its line up of Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso, Piastri seemed destined to race for Williams, a seat he didn’t appear too happy with.

That was until the Spaniard dropped a bomb that he was joining Aston Martin, Piastri was announced for Alpine, until he revealed he would not be driving for the team.

It was soon revealed Piastri was set to join McLaren at the expense of Ricciardo.

Piastri’s bold gamble has had its first test. Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images

Ricciardo is all class. Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Oracle Red Bull Racing

While it was a brutal blow for Ricciardo, the 33-year-old said in November there were no hard feelings.

“It was just how the chips fell,” Ricciardo told the In the Fast Lane podcast. “He was in the situation, but it’s not like he created the situation.

“It was just a product of all these things happening and then, okay, he’s the guy, and that’s it.

“Of course Mark has a job to do as well, trying to find his driver a seat.

“I get how people were like, ‘Oh, you know, doing that to another Aussie!’, and blah, blah, blah, but I certainly didn’t view it like that or take it as it seemed from the outside. We were all just trying to do the best we could.”

Ricciardo also said he wished Piastri well, while the 21-year-old labelled his more senior countryman “a true professional” after he reached out after the contract drama.

But while there are no hard feelings, seemingly no new friendship either.

Originally published as ‘Look-a-like’: Oscar Piastri reveals truth behind Daniel Ricciardo photo