Formula 1: Oscar Piastri’s stunning performance shows why McLaren cut fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo

Hype around Oscar Piastri has always existed, but his stunning Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying effort and towelling up of teammate Lando Norris has heads turning.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - MARCH 18: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL60 Mercedes on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 18, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Oscar Piastri isn’t just a fast driver. It seems he’s a quick learner too.

Just two rounds into his Formula One career, the Australian rookie has already shown why McLaren did the right thing to ditch Daniel Ricciardo and give his seat to Piastri.

Ricciardo and his fans have been sulking ever since, claiming he was unfairly shafted because his McLaren car was so unreliable, but the ‘honey badger’ has only got himself to blame.

F1 is a ruthless sport where the only thing that matters are results and Ricciardo’s numbers in his two years with McLaren were awful — apart from his against-the-odds breakthrough win at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

The most damning assessment of how far off the pace Ricciardo had fallen was his damning head to head comparisons with his younger teammate Lando Norris.

The Englishman finished seventh in the driver’s championship, scoring more than three times as many points (122-37) as the more experienced Ricciardo.

And in qualifying, where the drivers get to go flat out on light fuel loads and fresh tyres to determine who is the quickest, Norris finished ahead of the Aussie a staggering 21 times in 23 races.

McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri drives during the third practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabia Formula One Grand Prix.

Piastri made a rotten start to his F1 career when he qualified 18th in Bahrain then failed to finish the race because of an electrical problem — but what matters most is how quickly he has bounced back.

Against all expectations, the 21-year-old qualified ninth fastest for the second race in Saudi Arabia and will start 11 places ahead of Norris, who hit a wall in the first phase of qualifying and damaged his car’s steering.

It’s still early days for Piastri but his stunning improvement in such a short time has not gone unnoticed in the F1 paddock.

Lando Norris often had the measure of Daniel Ricciardo, finishing ahead of the Aussie a staggering 21 times in 23 races.

To qualify in the top 10 is no easy feat, especially after just two races in a car that needs more work.

Ricciardo only managed it seven times in 22 attempts last year, so it shows that the hype around Piastri is not misplaced after he won the F2 title in 2021 and spent a year in the wilderness waiting for his chance in the big time.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified second but incurred a mandatory 10-spot penalty for changing engines, certainly took notice of the Aussie’s rapid acceleration.

Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri produced a stunning drive in qualifying to score eighth spot on the grid. Picture: AFP

“It‘s impressive, especially after a year off and his second race, in a street track, in a very challenging one — probably one of the most challenging of the season,” Leclerc said.

“To see him have such a performance is great, however, it’s not really a surprise with what he has shown in the past.

“I was pretty sure that he was extremely talented and he showed that.”

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso said Piastri’s impressive performance was also a very good sign for his former team, which has struggled in recent years.

“He has this huge talent,” Alonso said. ‘Very tricky place, so I’m happy for him and happy for McLaren as well.

“We need a strong McLaren as well in the fight.”

Piastri wasn’t getting carried away with anything though, knowing just how fine the margin between success and failure is. In qualifying in Saudi Arabia, the gap between making and not making the top 10 was less than a quarter of a second.

“You make a small mistake, or a couple of small mistakes, and it looks like a complete disaster. You put a really good lap together and you look like a hero,” Piastri said.

“So we’ve really got to tackle those really small margins, which I think we’re doing a very good job of.”

Originally published as Formula 1: Oscar Piastri’s stunning performance shows why McLaren cut fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo