Eagle-eyed fans and pundits have noted an inconsistency with the timeline surrounding Oscar Piastri’s signing for McLaren after the youngster’s seat was confirmed for next season. And on Friday, McLaren confirmed that they have won the legal battle with their F1 rivals for Piastri’s signature, in a huge boost for team boss Zak Brown after a disappointing campaign. Nine days after Piastri signed for McLaren, Ricciardo shared a statement on social media insisting that he would drive for the team in 2023, defiantly claiming ‘I still want this more then ever.’. Ricciardo’s statement on July 13 would indicate that he was not aware that McLaren had signed Piastri nine days earlier. On July 24, in an interview with Sky Sports, team boss Andreas Seidl insisted McLaren were ‘committed’ to Ricciardo.

Follow MotorMouth on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•