Why it’s time Australia forgets about Red Bull and rallies around the country’s new superstar

Australian Formula One fans are still dreaming of a Red Bull return for Daniel Ricciardo. But both history and reality dictate that the country rallies behind its new rising star.

Like the drivers, it is time for Australian Formula One fans to show their ruthless side and reconsider where their true allegiances lie.

Aussies are among the most loyal fans in motor racing and most, understandably and patriotically, have hitched their wagons to Red Bull.

That’s been a smart move up until now because not only has Red Bull been incredibly successful over the past two decades, it has proudly flown the Aussie flag.

For 12 consecutive seasons from 2007-18 – firstly with Mark Webber and then Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull had an Australian driver behind the wheel, winning plenty of races but not championships.

That’s no longer the case.

Oscar Piastri has impressed since joining McLaren. Picture: Getty Images

Even though Ricciardo desperately wants to get his seat back at Red Bull after being thrown a lifeline by Alpha Taura, his chances seem slim at best.

He may be one of the most likeable blokes in pit lane but F1 is a bloodthirsty sport that doesn’t give out any prizes to anyone for being nice.

That’s why Ricciardo left Red Bull in the first place and why Aussie fans should be rethinking which team they now want to follow.

The answer is simple: McLaren.

Not only does McLaren have an Aussie driver with the skill to be a future world champion in Oscar Piastri, the team has deep, historical ties with Australian motor racing’s godfather, Jack Brabham.

Australia’s Sir Jack Brabham won three F1 world drivers’ championships in the 1960s. Picture: Getty Images

Sir Jack first noticed the potential of Bruce McLaren, a young up-and-coming New Zealander who he helped get his first start on the world stage.

They teamed up together at Cooper in 1959, when Brabham won the first of his three world titles.

The Kiwi showed his star potential when won the 1959 US Grand Prix at Indianapolis, at age 22, to become the youngest F1 race winner at the time.

Brabham and McLaren became inseparable friends. They were 11 years apart in age but shared a fascination with motor racing, not only with driving but constructing their own cars.

McLaren won the Argentina Grand Prix in 1960 and finished runner-up in the world championship to his teammate Brabham, who went back-to-back but had ambitions to start his own team.

He did just that – and won a third world title in 1966 – to become the first and still only driver to win the F1 championship in a car they built themselves.

It inspired and encouraged McLaren to roll the dice and venture out on his own.

Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham behind the wheel. Picture: AAP

McLaren never won the driver’s F1 world title. He finished third in 1962 after winning on the famed streets of Monaco but found more success as a constructor.

He created the McLaren F1 team in 1963 that still bears his name.

A pioneer of his time, he continued driving sports cars that he had built himself, in North America and Europe, and crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of the biggest races on offer.

In 1966, he teamed up with co-driver Chris Amon to win the Le Mans 24-hour race.

He also won the 1967 and 1969 drivers’ championships in the Can-Am Challenge series in North America, as well as the constructors’ title five times in a row from 1967 to 1971.

Tragically, McLaren was killed in 1970, aged just 32, when he crashed at high speed during a testing session in England.

However, his legacy in motor racing lives on and continues to grow.

Bruce McLaren died tragically at age 32.

Since his death, McLaren has won eight F1 constructors’ championships and 12 drivers’ titles with some of the legends of the sport, including Ayrton Senna, Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mika Hakkinen.

Second only to Ferrari in the number of titles and races won, McLaren has fallen on hard times in recent years.

Its last championship was in 2008, while its last full race victory was in 2021 when Ricciardo took the chequered flag at Monza ahead of his teammate Lando Norris.

Things are looking brighter since McLaren made the tough call to ditch Ricciardo and replace him with Piastri, one of the sport’s rising stars, after he won the F2 and F3 championships.

For Ricciardo’s army of devoted followers, McLaren’s actions were an ugly and unforgivable sin but in the cutthroat world of F1 it was just another day on the merry-go-round.

Daniel Ricciardo would love to be back driving Red Bull. Picture: Getty Images

Born in Melbourne, Piastri, who is managed by Webber, has already shown he’s on a steep upward curve after making a huge impression in his first season in 2023. He won a sprint race at Qatar and twice finished on the podium.

If it’s not enough that McLaren is the closest thing to an Australian team in F1, there’s another good reason for Aussie fans to hop on the papaya bandwagon.

One thing that unites Aussie fans is a homegrown winner.

While no Australian driver has made it to the podium at the Australian Grand Prix, Piastri has a real shot after finishing fourth at the last round in Saudi Arabia, and that alone is worth supporting.

Originally published as Why it’s time Australia forgets about Red Bull and rallies around the country’s new superstar